University News

CLIRS, JCA organize BLOGERS Labor Orientation

Jan Vincent Lanuza, News, Communication Management Office

The PUP Center for Labor and Industrial Relations Studies (CLIRS), alongside the student organization Junior Cooperators Association (JCA), organized the Basic Labor Orientation for Graduating Students, Faculty/Employees and Researchers (BLOGERS+) at Claro M. Recto Hall on May 23.

The event’s objective was to apprise faculty, administrative employees, and graduating and working students of their labor rights and recent labor market developments to help them understand their privileges as workers.

CLIRS Chief Rimando E. Felicia explained in his opening remarks that the University and his Office conduct training to ensure no future employees will be exploited.

“Most preferred tayo ng mga employer pero siyempre, yung pagiging matiisin, pagiging madiskarte ng mga graduates, minsan napagsasamantalahan sila. Dahil sa kakulangan ng kaalaman sa mga batayang karapatan at kagalingan nila bilang empleyado at bilang new entrant sa public at private sector, hindi nila naipaglalaban at hindi nagigiit ang mga karapatan na ito.”

(“We are often preferred by employers, but of course, the resilience and resourcefulness of graduates can sometimes be exploited. Due to their lack of knowledge about their basic rights and welfare as employees and as new entrants in both the public and private sectors, they are unable to fight for and assert these rights.”)

Felicia added the event’s significance to the faculty, administrative employees, labor researchers, and union leaders, explaining that “Nitong nakaraang mga taon, kasabay ng pangkalahatang pagpapalawak ng pananaliksik ng unibersidad, pinalawak ang saklaw ng BLOGS at naging layunin na rin nito ang pag-update sa mga faculty at kawani ng unibersidad sa mga bagong patakaran, programa at susog sa batas-paggawa. Mainam na pagkakataon ito para sa faculty at employee development. Nagiging daluyan din ito sa patuloy na pagpapalakas ng mga unyon at samahan ng mga manggagawa sa unibersidad.”

(“In recent years, alongside the overall expansion of the university’s research, the scope of BLOGS has been broadened to also aim at updating the university’s faculty and staff on new policies, programs, and amendments to labor laws. This is an excellent opportunity for faculty and employee development. It also serves as a channel for the continued strengthening of unions and workers’ associations within the university.”)

Research Institute for Human and Social Development Director Dr. Nicolas Mallari spoke of another intention of this event—to develop a research proposal stemming from the labor queries of the participants. The said research proposal will be done by CLIRS and could be funded by the University or other agencies.

“Some questions may be asked which can generate a specific research question and from there, we might try to develop it into a research project that may be funded by the University o pwede naming ilako sa labas [ng University] kasi nakikita ni Sir Mandy, may mga tanong talaga that needed to addressed using research,” he said.

(“Some questions may be asked that can generate a specific research question, and from there, we might try to develop it into a research project that may be funded by the University or that we can pitch outside [the University] because Sir Mandy sees that there are indeed questions that need to be addressed through research.”)

The morning session of BLOGERS+ focused on faculty, administrative employees, and labor researchers. Atty. Fidel Esteban, Associate Director of the digital engineering company Collabera Digital, facilitated the first lecture “Updates on the Filipino Labor Market” which discusses the current shift in workforce population, changes in salaries and benefits, the increase in employment attrition and employment retention strategies, and the “future of work” or the new flexible working conditions implemented by other companies. Also, he illustrated the salient features of the employee’s right to be a part of the organization.

Former Undersecretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Atty. Rebecca Chato presented the “Policies and Challenges in the Changing Work Environment” highlighting employment issues in the Philippines, particularly underemployment, unemployment, and job skills mismatch.

To end the morning session, CLIRS began the soft launch of the new edition of the BISIG Journal, a University Journal composed of articles, opinion columns, and research papers concerning labor conditions and the labor community in the Philippines. Further, a BISIG Special Issue, as announced by BISIG Editor-in-Chief Felicia, will be about Justice and Lasting Peace will be published soon with the deadline for paper submission on May 30, 2024.

For the afternoon session, the lectures were centered on labor training for the Iskolar ng Bayan, particularly graduating students to equip them with the knowledge necessary as they begin their journey towards choosing their first job and for working students to guide them in their professional life.

Administrative Officer in UP Diliman Leny Madriaga began the affair by discussing the rights and privileges in the Civil Service or in the public sector, including the requirements to begin working in the government, the benefits of its employees and their basic rights.

Atty. Esteban then returned to the podium for the second session to begin the discourse of the private sector worker rights such as the graduating students’ advantage in seeking their first employment via the First-Time Job Seekers Assistance Act or the RA 11261 and the types of employment available for aspiring applicants.

Federation of Free Workers Vice President Julius Cainglet, for his third session talked about the general and basic labor rights for all Filipino workers, both private and public, their freedom of association or the right to organize and form labor unions and its importance to be recognized to promote social awareness and job productivity.

Atty. Chato, for the final session, prepared the future professionals that will soon arrive in the workforce by addressing the challenges for new entrants, providing them with the information and perspectives they needed to prevent such issues happening to them.

Students gained knowledge about the labor workforce during the event, preparing them for their applications. Allysa Mae Tepace, a graduating student from the Bachelor of Arts in Filipinology (BAF) appreciated the help this occasion has given to her, stating “Makatutulong siya sa kung ano ba ang need kong ihandang requirements kapag papasok na sa trabaho, especially sa government field. Mas naunawaan ko rin ang mga patakaran at benefits kapag sa government ka nagtatrabaho. Dahil sa event nagkaroon ako ng kaalaman sa kung ano ang workload and laws under government which is ibang iba siya sa other companies. Parang na-encourage tuloy ako na pumasok doon.”

(“It helps me understand what requirements I need to prepare when entering a job, especially in the government field. I also gained a better understanding of the policies and benefits when working for the government. Because of the event, I learned about the workload and laws under the government, which are very different from other companies. It encouraged me to pursue a job in that sector.”)

Eloisa Sombillo, another graduating BAF student shared the same statement as it motivated her to take the next steps as she entered the new chapter of her life.

“As a student na graduating na at haharap na sa panibagong career kailangan mas malaman ko ang karapatan namin bilang baguhan sa larangan ng pagtatrabaho. Kung malawak ang PUP Campus siguradong mas malawak ang mundo paglabas ko rito. Kaya ang event na ito ang mas nakakatulong sa akin para malaman kung ano ang mga hakbang na dapat kong gawin as a first time job seeker, ano ang dapat asahan sa proseso ng paghahanap, ano ang karapatan ko, ano ang mga benepisyo na dapat kong asahan mula sa aking papasukan, at ano ang mga batas na mangangalaga sa akin bilang isang manggagawa,” she said.

(“As a graduating student about to enter a new career, I need to know more about our rights as newcomers in the workforce. If the PUP campus is vast, the world outside will surely be even broader. That’s why this event is very helpful for me to learn what steps I need to take as a first-time job seeker, what to expect in the job search process, what my rights are, what benefits I should expect from my future employer, and what laws will protect me as a worker.”)

President of the JCA and Bachelor in Cooperative (BCOOP) student, Catherine Roze Gellido shared her insights, citing the importance of this event in advancing the importance of sharing every Filipino’s labor rights with the future generations of the labor workforce.

“Napakahalaga na maihanda ang mga mag-aaral sa kanilang paninindigan sa mga karapatan at tungkulin bilang mga susunod na henerasyon ng lakas-paggawa ng bansa. Mahalaga na may kamalayang panlipunan ang mga mag-aaral na magiging mangagagawa o empleyado o kaya naman ay mangangasiwa ng mga empleyado at manggagawa. Mahalagang kaalaman ang mga saligang karapatan sa sahod, trabaho at organisasyon bilang manggagawa at kawani. Ang ganitong kaalaman ay magbibigay ng tiwala sa sarili at kahandaang makisangkot hindi lamang sa produksyon kundi maging sa pagpapaunlad ng lipunan. Ito rin ay magbibigay-daan sa pagiging responsableng tagapamahala na tagapagtaguyod ng karapatan ng mga manggagawa at empleyado at malaking instrumento patungo sa isang mas maayos, ligtas at makatarungang lugar ng trabaho para sa lahat.”

(“It is crucial to prepare students to stand firm on their rights and responsibilities as the next generation of the country’s workforce. It is important for students who will become workers or employees, or who will manage employees and workers, to have social awareness. Knowledge of fundamental rights regarding wages, work, and organization as workers and staff is essential. This knowledge will provide self-confidence and readiness to be involved not only in production but also in the development of society. It will also pave the way for becoming responsible managers who advocate for the rights of workers and employees, and it is a significant instrument toward creating a better, safer, and fairer workplace for everyone.”)

Beginning in 2017, BLOGERS+ is an annual event organized by CLIRS. Then known as BLOGS, they aim to help graduating and working Iskolar ng Bayan, faculty, administrative employees, union leaders, and labor researchers, in career growth and development and fostering knowledge by exposing them to their labor rights, the ever-changing labor market, and the workplace environment of the public and private.

The CLIRS hopes to expand this event to include even the various University Campuses in the PUP System and to have more collaborations with different PUP student organizations.

_{[Note: All English translations are generated from ChatGPT4o.]}