Testigo December 2009 Special Issue: NCR ESCR Documentation 2009

VIOLATIONS IN THE RIGHT TO WORK AND TO JUST AND HUMANE WORKING CONDITIONS - 1. BLUESTAR MANUFACTURING (ADVAN SHOES AND RAINBOOTS) WORKERS: The company started its operation on May 20, 1990. It is owned and managed by Mr. Jimmy Ong, a 50+ year old Filipino-Chinese. Bluestar Marketing and Manufacturing Corporation is the maker of Advan casual shoes and rainboots brand. It distributes its products locally. Among the biggest buyer of its products is the SM shopping mall. The workers estimated the production output of rainboots at 2,700 pairs per day and the shoes at 5,400 pairs/day.

2. TRIUMPH INTERNATIONAL WORKERS: Triumph International was founded 1886 by the German families Spiesshofer and Braun and is owned by these families till today. The company’s headquarters is located in Bad Zurzach, Switzerland. Triumph International is one of the world leading companies for lingerie. It sells its core brand products (Triumph®, sloggi®, Valisère® und HOM®) in more than 120 countries, and in 1650 Triumph stores (self-owned, franchise or partner-store). Triumph has worldwide over 44`500 employees and had in 2008 a turnover of 2.37 billion Swiss Francs.

3. JOURNAL EMPLOYEES UNION: Journal Employees Union (JEU) is a duly registered employees union under Philippine Law, and is registered on 1986, with Registration No. BLR-900108, and currently holds office at the Journal Building, Railroad St., Port Area, Manila City. The Union?s Treasurer, Mr. Gerardo Serue represents the entire workers of the Philippine Journalist Inc.

4 GOLDILOCKS ANT-BEL WORKERS: Goldilocks Ant-Bel Workers Association CASE. GAWA was duly registered on November 17, 2008, organized at 2262B Interior 2, Leveriza Street, Malate, Manila with registration number NCR-MFO-UR-11-001-2008. GAWA has 15 union members. Nonato Y. Belen, president of GAWA represents the whole workers of Ant-Bel Marketing Incorporated, a franchise holder of Goldilocks Bakeshop Incorporated.

VIOLATIONS TO THE  RIGHT TO ADEQUATE HOUSING --  1. PHILIPPINE NATIONAL RAILWAYS MUNTINLUPA AREA: On April 27-30, more than 1700 men hired by the National Housing Authority in collaboration with 300 armed members of Philippine National Police forcedly and brutally demolished the houses of urban poor communities in Barangays Sucat, Buli, Cupang and Alabang, Muntinlupa City. More than 960 families were affected and left homeless.

2. ROAD 10 (R10) DEMOLITION: Authorities Involved: Metro Manila Development Authority -- The MMDA demolition project along R10 started on the first quarter of 2009. On the first week of February 2009, MMDA personnel started the clearing operations and were able to demolished 5 houses at the Tondo-Moriones Area. They used mallets in smashing the houses of the urban poor families.

3. DEMOLITION THREAT TO BUILDING II, GAWAD KALINGA: On July 11, Barangay Council Member Bong Florez distributed a waiver to the residents of GK Building II. They said that the residents of the said building will be removed from their respective homes because of many alleged reasons such as a case of a child having meningococcemia, diseases, garbage problem, flood, crimes and drug related problems.

4. DEMOLITION THREAT, FLOODWAY PASIG CITY: Year 2000, PC Cruz and Associates (a private company) proposed the Home Along the Floodway Project to the RIZLAQUE Commission of the province of Rizal. According to the said project, a medium rise building will be built along the Manggahan Floodway and the main beneficiary of the said building are the people residing nearby the floodway and the government employees of the province. A census was conducted to the 6 700 families residing along the floodway and also series of mass meetings was conducted to inform them about the project.