Groups flag growing vulnerability of low-income workers

LEADERS from the Catholic Church and the Philippine labor sector said governance, economic policy, and environmental management are deeply interconnected, warning that systemic corruption and precarious labor conditions continue to undermine public welfare and economic development.

Gerardo A. Alminaza, Bishop of the Diocese of San Carlos and president of Caritas Philippines, said that disasters, compounded by corruption in infrastructure projects, disproportionately affect low-income workers, including agricultural laborers, fisherfolk, and informal employees.

“The environment, the economy, and governance are deeply interconnected,” Mr. Alminaza told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the Labor Consultative Assembly on Saturday.

“When the environment is destroyed, calamities follow — and those who suffer most are the working class,” he added.

He framed the issue within Catholic social teaching, citing the principle that human dignity and labor must take precedence over capital.

Labor leaders echoed this assessment, stressing that stagnant wages, insecure contracts, and limited union protections have left workers vulnerable amid rising costs and ongoing ecological and economic pressures.

Julius H. Cainglet, vice-president of the Federation of Free Workers, told BusinessWorld that labor conditions should be treated as a key indicator of national economic and governance performance.

“The Filipino workforce is the primary driver of the economy,” Mr. Cainglet said.

“Without them, production halts. Workers must therefore be at the center of policy decisions, not just capital owners or entrenched political dynasties.”

“The working class has a major role in societal change. Collective action and solidarity are essential to address corruption, improve governance, and ensure the economy serves the people, not just a few,” added Leodegario “Ka Leody” de Guzman, chairperson of the Partido Lakas ng Masa.

IBON Foundation Executive Director Jose Enrique “Sonny” A. Africa said corruption has wide-ranging effects on public services.

“Reducing corruption understood as spending better will definitely improve public social and economic services that workers, like every Filipino, use. But this is only up to a point — providing all public services at the scale needed will take much more than fixing corruption,” Mr. Africa told BusinessWorld in a Viber chat.

Mr. Alminaza said that failing to provide fair wages, safe working conditions, and secure employment within Church institutions undermines the credibility of its broader moral claims.

Labor representatives called for concrete reforms, including legislated wage increases, an end to contractualization, strengthened union rights, and accountability for extrajudicial actions against workers.

They added the need for ecological programs aligned with labor protections, pointing to climate-related disasters and mismanaged infrastructure as areas where systemic change is critical.

While acknowledging some initiatives by the current administration, such as investigations into flood control projects, both Church and labor leaders said these efforts remain insufficient. They pointed to entrenched political dynasties, longstanding corruption, and policy inconsistencies as structural barriers to sustainable economic and social development.

“The challenges are systemic, spanning multiple administrations,” Mr. Cainglet said. “Workers are increasingly aware that issues like corruption, climate risk, and governance directly affect their livelihoods. Only a unified approach across sectors can achieve meaningful reform.” — Erika Mae P. Sinaking