COMPOSTELA, Compostela Valley --- Many people who joined the protest at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 11 on February 25 claimed they have other plans in going to Davao City that day. They maintain their leaders deceived them so they could join the rally.
Among those who claimed they were deceived was Rubeliza Hernane who said her husband’s union leader lured them to join the protest against his former employer, Freshmax Corporation.
“Niadto akong bana sa Davao kay unionista man na siya. Nangumusta siya sa trabaho nila, kung kanus-a ba mag-operation (My husband went to Davao City because he is a member of the union. His concern was about the resumption of operations of his work at Freshmax,” Hernane said.
Marilyn Hingpit, another wife of a former employee who was allegedly illegally terminated, claimed that they received a notice of hearing for their case against the company.
“Akong bana man gud kay unionista na siya sa Freshmax Corporation. Nagpadala sila og notice kanamo. Mao na among giadto didto(My husband is a member of the union of Freshmax Corporation. We received a notice of hearing. That was our purpose of going to Davao City),” Hingpit said.
“Pero ngalan nga niadto mi didto para sa DSWD, wala uy (But we did not go to Davao City to participate in the protest against DSWD),” she added.
Freshmax Corporation is a Korean-owned company that exports bananas. Its employees in Compostela Valley have been displaced due to flash floods caused by typhoon Pablo
Another former employee who was allegedly illegally terminated, Rolan Verdejo, claimed that he went to Davao to get his Social Security System (SSS) number.
“Niadto ko og Davao kay nag follow up ko sa akong SSS number (I went to Davao City to follow up on my SSS number),” he said.
The three, all residents of barangay San Miguel, joined the throng of people who went to the regional office of the DSWD and were surprised that their companions were already protesting against the agency.
"Wala gyud ko kabalo nga moadto mi og DSWD (I really did not know that we were going to DSWD),” Verdejo said.
All of them expressed fear that their participation in the protest would result in them being delisted in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
But Regional Director Priscilla N. Razon assured them that they could only be delisted if they failed to comply with the conditions of the program.
"The agency understands their apprehension. I want to allay their fear,” she said.
Razon added that there was no truth to the rumor that all Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries who joined the protest would be delisted.
“Pantawid beneficiaries can only be delisted if: pregnant mothers fail to avail of pre- and post-natal care; if they do not undergo regular health check-ups; if they fail to attend classes at least 85% of the time; or if parents fail to attend monthly Family Development Sessions (FDS),” she added.
Meanwhile, Jean Montero of Barangay Ngan, Compostela said, “Wala ko kabalo ang adtoan sa Davao rally (I didn’t know we were going to Davao for a rally).”
Edgar Balaga, of Barangay San Roque, Baganga, Davao Oriental, said, “Nagmahay ko nga miuban ko sa ilaha. Wala gyud koy nadawdaw sa akong pag-uban. Wala mi tarong kaon. Giingnan mi nga mangadto daw mi’g Davao ug mangaligo og dagat. Tagaan pud daw mi og tag-P150 kada isa ug tag-isa ka sako nga bugas. (I regretted my joining them. I didn’t gain anything from that. We even had no decent meals. We were told we will be going to Davao to swim in the beach. We were also informed we will be given P150 each and a sack of rice each.).”
The protest was organized by Barug Katawhan, a group who claimed that its members were victims of typhoon Pablo. DSWD/Leslie Lao-Francisco
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