Urban poor group Kadamay said Marcos Jr’s hyped GDP growth means nothing to millions of poor Filipinos who bear the direct impact of food inflation due to the government’s failure to support the purchasing power of Filipinos through substantial wage hikes and urgent cash aid.
“Sabi ni Marcos Jr ‘di raw sya makatulog kakaisip sa inflation. Kaya naman ang tanong namin, ‘Ano na?’” said Kadamay Secretary-General Mimi Doringo.
The group said real economic growth would have been felt if the government had urgently acted on passing the National Minimum Wage Bill (House Bill 4898) and the Pro-Worker Security of Tenure Bill (2173) which would provide a national minimum wage based on livable standards and would end contractualization.
Kadamay also slammed Marcos Jr’s over-reliance on food importation as Department of Agriculture (DA) secretary, demanding him to step down as agri chief if he cannot support our local food producers. “Sino ba ang pinoprotektahan ni Marcos Jr bilang kalihim ng DA? Sa ginagawa niya, lalong dumarami ang mahihirap dahil pinapatay niya ang kabuhayan ng ating mga magsasaka.”
“Gutom era, hindi Goldern era” is what to be expected of the Marcos Jr regime if his government continues to ignore the real conditions of poor Filipinos while misusing public funds and resources for excessive foreign trips and unnecessary personal agendas, according to Kadamay.
“Puro foreign trips ang inaatupag habang nagkukumahog sa mababang sahod at nagtataasang bilihin ang mga kababayan natin. Balak pang unahin ang coronation ni King Charles bago magbitaw ng salita at magbigay ng mga tunay na solusyon tungkol sa lagay ng mga manggagawa at mahihirap sa bansa.” added Doringo. “Hindi naman siguro mamamatay sa gutom si King Charles ‘pag ‘di sya nakapunta.”
