On International Street Vendors' Day, urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) denounces the eviction of street vendors in Metro Manila as part of the Aquino administration's window dressing in time for the the leg of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
According to Gloria Arellano, Kadamay national chair, not less than 500 street vendors were evicted from main thoroughfares that lead the APEC venue at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila. Meanwhile, the DSWD announced it has cleared Metro Manila of at least 20,000 street-dwellers in time for the APEC.
Kadamay has also monitored that other vendors along streets in Manila which are not included in the route of APEC delegates are told not to sell their goods for a week in time for the final leg of the APEC summit.
"We are angered why we have to sacrifice our livelihood only to show the APEC delegates that we are not a poor nation," said Arellano.
"In case the Aquino government fail to notice, a day without vending is already a big burden to our families. A week without vending is a sabotage already," the leader added.
Meanwhile, violence nearly erupted as authorities cleared food stalls along Mabuhay Lanes in Quezon City Thursday.
A furious vendor questioned why the Aquino government is chasing after poor vendors while the government itself is filled with corrupt officials.
Kadamay has called on the public to condemn the window dressing done by the Aquino government which aims to hide the real situation of Filipinos in the country.
"Hiding the poor Filipinos in time for the APEC betrays the function of APEC as an economic forum," said Arellano.
APEC to further neoliberal policies
But as history has proven, Kadamay expects that APEC 2015 will only further the implementation of neoliberal policies despite the ill-effects to the peoples of poor nations.
Arellano remarked that the neoliberal policies that APEC and other globalization instruments have force-fed on world economies have spelled the death blow to the Philippine economy since the country hosted the summit for the first time in 1996.
Worst job crisis
According to independent think-tank IBON, since APEC 1996, the Philippines has suffered from the worst job crisis in its history with the number of unemployed and underemployed Filipinos increasing from 8.3 million in 1996 to 12.2 million in 2015.
Kadamay said this job crisis has brought forth millions of semi-worker Filipinos including street vendors.
The country's unemployment rate – whether using IBON's adjusted estimate of 10.4% or the official rate of 7.0% – is the worst in Asia.
Recent unemployment rates in other Asian countries including those at similar levels of economic development as the Philippines are much lower: Brunei (1.1%), Cambodia (0.10%), Indonesia (5.7%), Malaysia (2.9%), Myanmar (4.0%), Singapore (2.0%), Thailand (0.9%), Vietnam (2.2%), South Korea (3.7%), India (3.8%) and China (4.1%). It is not coincidental that the Philippines has among the most liberalized economies among this group.
Kadamay also slams that the Aquino government has been playing up increased employment to showcase the effectiveness of neoliberal programs promoted by forums like the APEC, such as labor flexibilization and contractualization. ###
Kadamay has also monitored that other vendors along streets in Manila which are not included in the route of APEC delegates are told not to sell their goods for a week in time for the final leg of the APEC summit.
"We are angered why we have to sacrifice our livelihood only to show the APEC delegates that we are not a poor nation," said Arellano.
"In case the Aquino government fail to notice, a day without vending is already a big burden to our families. A week without vending is a sabotage already," the leader added.
Meanwhile, violence nearly erupted as authorities cleared food stalls along Mabuhay Lanes in Quezon City Thursday.
A furious vendor questioned why the Aquino government is chasing after poor vendors while the government itself is filled with corrupt officials.
Kadamay has called on the public to condemn the window dressing done by the Aquino government which aims to hide the real situation of Filipinos in the country.
"Hiding the poor Filipinos in time for the APEC betrays the function of APEC as an economic forum," said Arellano.
APEC to further neoliberal policies
But as history has proven, Kadamay expects that APEC 2015 will only further the implementation of neoliberal policies despite the ill-effects to the peoples of poor nations.
Arellano remarked that the neoliberal policies that APEC and other globalization instruments have force-fed on world economies have spelled the death blow to the Philippine economy since the country hosted the summit for the first time in 1996.
Worst job crisis
According to independent think-tank IBON, since APEC 1996, the Philippines has suffered from the worst job crisis in its history with the number of unemployed and underemployed Filipinos increasing from 8.3 million in 1996 to 12.2 million in 2015.
Kadamay said this job crisis has brought forth millions of semi-worker Filipinos including street vendors.
The country's unemployment rate – whether using IBON's adjusted estimate of 10.4% or the official rate of 7.0% – is the worst in Asia.
Recent unemployment rates in other Asian countries including those at similar levels of economic development as the Philippines are much lower: Brunei (1.1%), Cambodia (0.10%), Indonesia (5.7%), Malaysia (2.9%), Myanmar (4.0%), Singapore (2.0%), Thailand (0.9%), Vietnam (2.2%), South Korea (3.7%), India (3.8%) and China (4.1%). It is not coincidental that the Philippines has among the most liberalized economies among this group.
Kadamay also slams that the Aquino government has been playing up increased employment to showcase the effectiveness of neoliberal programs promoted by forums like the APEC, such as labor flexibilization and contractualization. ###
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