Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano Photo by Otso Diretso
MANILA, Philippines — Opposition senatorial candidate Gary Alejano on Monday said hiring of Chinese workers are being preferred in the country because the Duterte administration prioritizes China’s interests.
The Magdalo party-list representative issued this remark after Special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo defended the influx of Chinese workers in the country by claiming that Filipino workers are lazy.
“Ultimately, Chinese workers are preferred because China’s interests are preferred by our government. This administration and many of its cohorts would stoop so low as spit on our people’s good name in exchange for China’s good graces,” the Otso Diretso senatorial contender said in a statement.
To recall, Tulfo, in a recent television interview said: “You know why developers prefer Chinese workers? They’re hardworking. When Filipino workers go to a job site, that’s only when they will start preparing their tools whereas Chinese workers are already prepared. Filipino workers always smoke and keep talking.”
Tulfo’s pronouncement earned the ire of various sectors, including labor groups, with some of them demanding Tulfo to apologize.
READ: TUCP asks Tulfo to apologize for insulting Filipino workers
But Tulfo refused to apologize over his controversial statement.
READ: Tulfo: No apology for telling ‘truth’ on ‘lazy’ Filipino workers
Alejano lamented how Tulfo insisted on his “contemptuous remarks” instead of solving the issues of workers.
For him, Tulfo’s view also showed “just how out of touch he is to the harsh reality that our workers have to consistently deal with,” with low pay, lack of benefits, and poor working conditions.
“Imbes na laiitin ay dapat tulungan ang ating mga manggagawa na hasain ang kanilang kakayahan at matigil ang hindi makatarungang pagtrato sa kanila. Tatlong taon na ang nakalipas at ang pangako sa ating mga OFWs na may daratnan silang trabaho pag-uwi ay nanatiling pangako lamang,” Alejano said.
For his part, human rights lawyer and senatorial candidate Chel Diokno stressed that Filipino workers are not lazy.
“Hindi tamad ang mga Pilipino. Galing lang ako ng Hong Kong, may kausap akong isang Pinoy doon na umalis ng bayan nung mga 1980s pa bilang isang OFW. Ngayon eh siya’y isang namumuno sa isang construction company,” Diokno said.
Diokno then called on the government to address the issue of unemployment, especially youth unemployment, which he said was three to four times higher than the country’s overall unemployment rate. /kga