MANILA – The youngest daughter of the late Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople declared her intention to join the race for a Senate seat in the coming 2010 elections.“Sa pagkakataon na ito, sa harap ninyo na nagtitiwala sa akin, nais kong ideklara ang aking intensiyon na lumahok at tumakbo bilang senador ng ating bansa,” Ople said.
Ople announced her bid for the Senate before an audience of the local labor sector, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families, supporters and friends at the Isabelo delos Reyes auditorium in University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations (UP Solair) in Diliman, Quezon City.
“This country I will serve whatever happens in 2010 and beyond,” she said, as she promised to give Filipino local and overseas workers the service that they long deserve.
Hundreds of workers from the labor and OFW sectors were united and endorsed the candidacy of Ople during the launch of the “Maka-Manggagawa Movement” at the same venue.
“The labor sector and the OFWs abroad, I will not fail you. Bali-baliktarin man ang mundo, may isang mensahe ang totoo, the Filipino worker is indeed worth fighting for,” Ople said.
The movement is led by former OFW-turned-businessman Jun Aguilar and former UP Dean Prof. Rene Ofreneo. It aims to campaign for Ople in all barangays, schools, and workplaces all over the country.
“Natutuwa kami na dumating sa ating bansa ngayon ang ideya na magkaroon ng makamanggagawa movement sa larangan ng Philippine politics. Ito po ay napapanahon na,” Ofreneo said.
Labor agenda
The former labor undersecretary bared her five-point labor agenda. On top of her list is to “develop a long-term strategic employment plan with clear targets and complemented by a labor and skills map to address the mismatch between available jobs and available skills.”
“Dahil wala tayo pang matagalang employment strategies, maski musmos, paga-abroad na ang iniisip,” she explained.
Second: “Structural reforms in OWWA, POEA, NLRC and DoLE to include more OFW seats in OWWA’s Governing Board, professional standards and higher pay to discourage corruption among labor arbiters and hearing officers at NLRC and POEA, and greater focus on local employment and social protection within DoLE.”;
Third: “A strong stance against the unethical and exploitative outsourcing of core and essential jobs, which hinders the growth of unions, and the right to collective bargaining agreements.”;
Fourth: “To make it a national inspiration and aspiration that by the end of six years, whoever sits as president, shall endeavor to cut by half the number of Filipino women leaving the country to work as domestic helpers abroad”.
Fifth: “Empowerment of trade unions and workers’ associations including cooperatives”.
“Ang manggagawa na kabilang ng union ay naiimbita sa dayalogo, nakakapasok sa loob ng board room, kinakausap ng gobyerno, lumalakas ang loob sa piling ng mga kasama. Ang manggagawang nag-iisa ay madaling paghintayin sa labas ng HR hanggang magsawa sa kahihintay. There is strength in numbers, especially in tripartite negotiations,” she said.
Radical idea
The president of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, however, said that there are people who are quick to label those who express pro-worker sentiments as “too radical” or “communists”.
“Yet an economy cannot prosper if its people are perennially broke. A country can never hope to advance if the quality of life of every worker remains poor. Paano tayo magkakaroon ng matibay at masiglang middle class kung ang isang breadwinner ay pa-five months, five months lang ang kontrata?” Ople asked.
‘Ate ng OFW’
If Ople’s father, Ka Blas, is hailed as the “father of overseas Filipinos”, his daughter is now known as the “Ate ng OFWs” for the genuine concern she showed and efforts she exerted to help not just distressed Pinoys abroad but also their families back home.
Filipino workers believe that Ople, also fondly called “Toots”, would continue what her father started.
“Nakikita namin na si kasamang Toots ang pwede pong kumatawan at magpatuloy ng kung anuman ang nasimulan ng kanyang ama. Ngayon ko lamang nakita ang convergence ng OFW sector at ng labor sector, at ako po ay naniniwala na sa pamamagitan nito, makapaguupo tayo ng isang kakatawan sa atin sa Senado sa pamamagitan ni Ka Toots Ople,” Aguilar, who also represented the Partidong Pandaigdigang Pilipino, said.
Annie Geron of the Public Services Labor Independent Confederation said Ople works even without “media coverage” just to help workers in need.
“Malaki ang pagtingin namin sa iyo sapagkat doon sa mga nararanasan naming problema kahit gabi, anong oras, pwede ka namin tawagan, at ikaw nakakausap namin at kami ay tinutulungan. Naniniwala kami na makakatulong ka na ang mga kawatan na iyan sa gubyerno ay malipon natin at maipakulong natin,” said Geron.
“Makakaasa ka sa amin sa sector publiko. Iluluklok natin ang bunso ni Ka Blas Ople, ang pambansang Ate ng OFW,” Geron said.
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) also supported Ople’s bid. A message of support from TUCP secretary-general and former Senator Ernesto “Boy” Herrera was read by TUCP Spokesman Alex Aguilar.
Detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes, through a letter read by lawyer Reynaldo Robles, his chief-of-staff, backed Ople’s bid and likewise encouraged Filipino workers, as well as members of the Samahang Magdalo to support her.
Ricky Rivera, representative of the Young Officers’ Union also backed Ople’s Senate bid.
Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/pinoy-migration/11/12/09/blas-oples-daughter-declares-senate-bid
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