Tambay, Tsitsirya and TRAIN

Mykel Andrada

In these times of fake news and fentanylized decisions, it is interesting how Gabriela
Women's Partylist (GWP) has been creative in criticizing the ill programs of the
Duterte administration.

To mock the National Economic Development Authority's (NEDA) food budget

estimate of 25 pesos per person per day, women and workers led by GWP held what
they touted as "tambay boodle lunch." Participating protesters dramatized this by
eating "tsitsirya" or junk food. The action symbolically pointed out that
impoverished Filipinos will be forced to consume junk food in place of normal
meals.

In a statement, the women's group said that the "ridiculous estimate" of around 8
pesos per meal per person "robs Filipinos of whatever dignity that is left for them."
GWP lambasted NEDA and Duterte's economic managers for downplaying the surge
of commodity prices due to TRAIN Law.

The tambay boodle also alluded to the government's crackdown on tambays.

GWP Representative Emmi de Jesus hit the government and the police for
demonizing tambays. The solon emphasized that had the government provided
sufficient jobs, ended the contractualization of labor, and pushed for decent salaries
and wages, there will be no tambays.

"Yung mga sinasabing mga tambay ng pulis, sila itong walang trabaho o kaya Endo
na pinagkakasya ang barya sa bulsa para maitawid ang gutom," De Jesus explained.

The progressive lawmaker also criticized NEDA chief Ernesto Pernia, whose gross
monthly income is 198,168 pesos, for undermining the labor sector's call for a
decent and significant wage increase, especially that inflation and the effects of the
TRAIN law are hurting the Filipino workers and their families.

"From 2016 to present, Pernia and Budget chief Benjamin Diokno's gross salary
increased by 68%. President Rodrigo Duterte meanwhile had his salary increased
by 80% to the current P298,083 under the Salary Standardization Law. Pero yung
sahod ng manggagawa sa NCR, tumaas lang ng P21," De Jesus exclaimed.

De Jesus also pointed out that the combined monthly salaries of Duterte and Pernia
amount to more than a year of a worker's wage in the National Capital Region.
"Talagang nakakabulag ang sarap-buhay sa pwesto kaya hindi nila makita ang
paghihikaos ng kababaihan at mamamayan," De Jesus added.

The Gabriela solon also explained that Pernia and Duterte benefited from the TRAIN
law's lower income taxes amounting to around 9,000 pesos monthly. However, the
minimum wage earner did not benefit from the TRAIN law and instead shouldered
the higher cost of commodity goods. This is in stark contrast to NEDA's 60 pesos per
day poverty threshold. De Jesus said that maintaining an inhumanely very low
poverty threshold means lower wages and the rejection of the workers' demand for
a legislated national minimum daily wage of 750 pesos.

"Dapat na atupagin ng rehimeng Duterte ang paglikha ng sapat na trabaho at

pagtataas ng sahod ng mga manggagawa, sa halip na pagdadamputin ang mga
tambay. Sadly, this regime only knows fascist solutions to the underlying problem of
widespread poverty in the country," De Jesus ended.