No more ‘endo’ in the next administration?

All five presidential candidates on Sunday promised to stop "endo" if they win in the May 2016 elections.

During the last leg of the PiliPinas Debates 2016 on Sunday in Pangasinan province, the candidates were asked what they will do to remove contractualization in the Philippines.

"Endo" comes at the fifth month of employment. The employees are terminated before they reach the six-month probationary period.

The presidential candidates pointed out that such terms of employment is wrong, some of them promising to immediately scrap it once they get elected.

"The moment I assume the presidency, contractualization will stop. They have to stop it," Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said. "That is an injustice committed against the people of the Republic of the Philippines. I will not allow that as president of this country."

He added at the 30-second follow-up period of the debate that he will call on Congress leaders and the majority to pass a bill to stop contractualization on "[the] first week of my administration."

According to Duterte, such working condition hinders young people from acquiring expertise needed to get better job opportunities because they do not get enough time to gain experience.

"That has to stop kasi ang mga workers natin cannot acquire skills that they learned from TESDA (the government's Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) kasi 'yung electrician, paalisin siya, maghahanap siya ng iba[ng trabaho], carpenter... Even if you go abroad, it says three years experience. The young people cannot ever, ever acquire the experience and the enterprise to really be an electrician kasi doon siya magtrabaho, kargador, 'yung iba boy lang siya, 'yung iba kundoktor, 'yung iba wala talagang trabaho," he said.

Sen. Grace Poe also vowed to end contractualization, which she said prevents people from planning ahead because of the uncertainty in their work status.

She proposed giving "incentives" to business owners by lowering corporate income tax, as many companies may fear lower revenues if they would provide permanent positions for their employees.

"Importanteng bigyan rin natin ng suporta ang mga magbibigay ng negosyo sa ating bansa, pero ang prayoridad natin ang pinakamahirap nating kababayan, so bawian lang: Alagaan n'yo sila, hindi namin kayo iipitin," Poe said.

Infrastructure

Former Interior secretary Mar Roxas also promised to end contractualization, promising to scrap it within three months if he is elected by enacting a law that would correct the "loopholes" that hold back the government from stopping "endo," short for end of contract.

The administration bet also pointed out that more "quality, permanent jobs" must be created.

He said: "Ito ang ating plano: pabababain ang singil ng kuryente dahil dadami ang supply, mas darami ang mga pabrika na papasok dito. Dadagdagan natin ang insentiba sa mga economic zones, para mas rumami ang eco-zones, mas rumami ang pabrika na maglo-locate dito. Dadamihan rin natin mga inprastructura sa mga transport modes na ito para mas madali makapasok-labas ng mga produkto dito."

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago also said the government must pay attention to infrastructure to address the need for jobs.

"Gagawa tayo ng maraming infrastructure—roads, bridges, sea ports, airports, urban transit system. Kapag binuksan natin 'yung mga proyekto na 'yun, milyon-milyon na trabaho ang mabubuksan," she said.

She added that the same must apply to agriculture, with building farm-to-market raods, irrigation, water impounding facilities, post-harvest facilities, and others.

"Kung gumawa ka ng trabaho, lalapit ang tao sa iyo. Hindi gaya ngayon na milyunmilyon ang ating graduates, wala silang pupuntahan kasi wala namang binubuksang pinto ang ating gobyerno. 'Yun ang dapat nating gawin para ang milyunmilyong mga graduates ma-absorb kaagad," she said.

Santiago then categorically said that she was "vehemently against contractualization," saying it is "illegal [and] possibly unconstitutional."

Income tax cut?

Vice President Jejomar Binay said, "'Yang 'endo,' bawal nga 'yan, ang masama nga lang hindi pinatutupad." However, he said that "endo" workers should assert their rights.

The debate's host, ABS-CBN, invited during the debate an engineering graduate who has been forced to become an "endo" worker.

"Hindi lang maliwanag sa akin ang problema mo kasi merong sinasabing job only. Job only, bawal yon sa simula't simula. Ngayon, ang narinig ko sa'yo, engineer ka. Kung ikaw ay kinuha as an engineer at kung iyong trabaho na yon ay kasama sa korporasyon na pinasukan mo, bawal 'yung ginawa sayo. Hindi ka na dapat tanggalin pagdating ng limang buwan kasi pagpasok na pagpasok mo pa lang permanente ka na. Sana naghabla ka," he said.

For his follow-up answer, Binay added that under his term, he would take away income tax.

"So kumbaga kung ang sweldo mo sampung libo, at kahit na papaano wala ka nang babayarang income tax, 'yun ang magagamit mo habang ikaw ay naghahanap ng panibagong trabaho," he said.

Roxas then commented: "Hindi ko maatim na pinag-uusapan ang pagbaba ng buwis. Wala naman nang binabayarang buwis dahil minimum wage earner siya. Wala na siyang binabayaran dahil sa batas na isinabatas ko noong ipinadala n'yo ako sa Senado, up to P100,000 of exemptions ang tax-free."

Santiago, meanwhile, said she was in favor of lowering both income and corporate taxes. —ALG, GMA News