Press Release
August 30, 1999

"WALANG makakapigil sa akin."

These were the dreaded words, worthy of a dictator, of our dear president when asked about the prospects of amending the Charter. And these are thesame words coming out from the smirking mouths of Chief Executive Officers of the hree oil companies.

Last week, another thorn was thrust to the side of Juan dela Cruz as another round of oil price increase transpired. Petron, Caltex and Shell jacked-up prices by an average of PhP0.40 due to the age-old reason of increasing prices in the world market but with a little twist. "In an effort to obfuscate their greed for greater profits, they are now blaming the millenium bug scare as culprit for the lack of supply due to hoarding of oil," said Noel Colina, LFSNational Chairperson. "Since the approval of the oil deregulation law, this have given the oil cartel all the freedom to raise oil prices to their hearts content," added Colina. "And unless this law is scrapped, oil price hikes will be the order of the day."

The ordinary Filipino immediately felt the effect of the recent Oil Price Hike, as it led to the further erosion of the already meager budget. To subsist on PhP198 in the midst of continues price increases is a near impossible task. Due to continued inflation, the true value of the present minimum wage is just worth PhP80 compared to '89 prices. The present minimum wage forces the average family to live well below the poverty line and this gives justice to the call of the working people for higher wages and salaries. "Students likes us, are greatly affected by this non-increase of the minimum wage. While prices of goods increase, so does school fees," stated Colina. "If there will be no increase in wages, more of our fellow students are doomed to drop-out due to rising costs of education, further bloating the ranks of the unemployed.

The attempt of the Estrada to deny the workers relief from their miserable conditions speaks of his true color. Estrada along with his clique of economic adviser sings in chorus against any wage increase, stating that its hall be inflationary and thereby causing the workers more bad than good.

This is further aggravated by anti-workers policies like banning strikes and unions. By increasing wages by PhP125 and salaries by PhP3000, this shall improve the purchasing power of the people, giving them the ability to consume more goods that shall benefits the companies that make them. "To increase wage is actually to stimulate consumption, increasing the demand for more goods which in turn creates more jobs," added Colina. But Estrada does not share this view. For him any respite from the present miserable condition of the workers will be inimical to his pro-business, pro-rich stance. "Habang walangnakakapigil sa pagtataas ng presyo ng langis, sa usapin naman ng pagtaas ng sweldo ay puro pagpipigil," stated Colina.

But the people will not take this pro-imperialist, pro-rich position of Estrada sitting down. We, the League of Filipino Students (LFS) are one with the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and the rest of the nation in struggling for better living conditions. We will mobilize our ranks to force this callous government to heed the call of the people for higher wages. "The struggle for higher wages becomes a struggle for human survival. It is a struggle for living conditions worthy to be called human and this shall not be denied of the people,"said Colina. ###

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