MANILA, Philippines – A youth group has decided to celebrate Labor Day by setting up kitchens to service Quezon City workers affected by the COVID-19 lockdown, despite warnings from the police to refrain from assembling.
The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) said on Thursday that the Tulong Kabataan (TK) would initiate the Kusinang Manggagawa on Friday, Labor Day, in Barangay Central near Kalayaan Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City.
The CEGP said that they are doing this initiative as a lot of workers have yet to receive any aid from the government, nearly two months in the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that President Rodrigo Duterte imposed over Luzon and other areas.
“More than a month since the Duterte implemented lockdown, millions of workers and informal earners are uncertain as to the government’s social amelioration program (SAP) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) aid are failing to reach the (people),” CEGP said in a statement.
“Now, more than ever, we amplify our calls for immediate medical and socio-economic solutions from the Duterte regime. He should prioritize the most urgent needs of the Filipino and not militaristic measures,” they added.
The CEGP told INQUIRER.net in a separate text message that they will ensure that physical distancing measures would be maintained even as mass gatherings are not allowed.
“Residents of Barangay Central will ensure as well as volunteers of TK na hindi pa rin naman po mawawala ‘yung pagsunod hinggil sa distancing on ECQ,” CEGP media officer Anton Narciso said.
(Residents of Barangay Central will ensure as well as volunteers of TK would ensure that the physical distancing regulations of the ECQ would not be set aside.)
Earlier, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Archie Gamboa warned leftists groups that they would arrest people who violate the physical distancing measures set up to prevent local transmission of the latest coronavirus strain.
According to Gamboa, they respect the people’s right to assembly but not in the midst of a pandemic.
“Much as we respect their right to peaceably assemble, out of the exigency of the health crisis situation, we beg to discourage them from pursuing these plans for their own safety and in the best interest of public health,” he added.
Labor groups are gearing for a different kind of protest this year’s Labor Day, as the pandemic forced people to stay and at home, and government to place travel restrictions. An online protest led by groups Kilusang Mayo Uno and Nagkaisa Labor Coalition would instead take place, for the first time in the country’s history.