Labor groups dare Tulfo: Take 3-day immersion challenge

Laborers’ groups have challenged Ramon Tulfo, President Duterte’s special envoy to China, to “man up” by walking in their shoes for three days so that he will know how hard it is for them to earn a living.

Starting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the laborers said they would wait for Tulfo to report to any construction site in Metro Manila for a three-day immersion that would hopefully give him a better understanding of their situation.

“Come live and work with us for three days before you make your conclusions. We have alerted all our members in Metro Manila to assist and accommodate you wherever… you may want to immerse [yourself],” they said in a statement on Monday.

The groups, composed of around 100,000 laborers, are members of the Construction Industry Tripartite Council.

Tulfo’s putdown

Last week, Tulfo earned the ire of various labor organizations when he said in a TV interview that companies in the country preferred Chinese workers because of their better work ethic compared to their Filipino counterparts. He also said that Chinese workers were more diligent and more focused.

When the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) asked him to apologize for his “uncalled for” statements, Tulfo refused, claiming these were based on feedback from the private sector.

He also took to social media on Friday to reiterate his opinion, saying on Twitter: “To the Filipino construction workers: Why should I apologize to you for telling the truth that you’re basically lazy and a slowpoke? Does the truth hurt?”

Associated Labor Unions-TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay commented on Monday that it was “highly inappropriate” for a government official like Tulfo to put down his compatriots.

Workers from the various construction groups also said Tulfo’s claim had caused “great damage” to their reputation, and this would affect them and their families “for a long time.”

“Will we have built all the important and critical infrastructures on time if we were ‘inefficient’ and ‘slowpokes’ as you claim us to be? Do you even know how low [our] salaries are? Do you even know how hard and dangerous it is to dangle [from the] top of the 75th floor of a building just so a project can be completed on time?” they said in their statement.

“The people didn’t give you the mandate and authority as Philippine special envoy to China to embarrass and destroy our reputation before our families and the whole world. Why didn’t you defend your fellow Filipinos? We thought you are a defender of the poor and those who do not have a voice. We were wrong,” they said.

A Palace official, meanwhile, said there was no need to caution Tulfo against making such statements.

No warning from Palace

“He’s a special envoy and he’s a responsible man. He doesn’t need to be advised,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo told reporters on Monday.

Panelo, however, said he did not agree with Tulfo, adding: “Definitely, Filipinos are industrious. The impression abroad is that we’re industrious, but on a personal level, there are hardworking workers, there are lazy workers. But the general impression is we’re hardworking, we are preferred in other countries.” —With a report from Julie M. Aurelio