As the first National Conference of the Church People-Workers Solidarity opened today at the Mariner’s Court in Cebu City, the Church was challenged to become “Church of the Poor” especially amid the “marginalization of workers” in the era of globalization. Around 400 delegates, 250 from the Church and 150 from the labor sector, from around the country attended the conference.

In his message about the background of the National Conference, Fr. Joe Dizon, convenor of the Church People Workers Solidarity and executive director of Workers’ Assistance Center, challenged the Church to go back to being “Church of the Poor.” The workers, being part of the marginalized sector, according to Dizon, should have the Church’s compassion especially in this age of globalization when workers are treated worse than slaves with their wages pegged at a very minimal rate and their right to security of tenure violated.

Dizon noted the historical role of the Church during the Martial Law and its great contribution to the upsurge of the trade union movement in the 1980s. This support, together with trade unionism, has however, declined through the years and Dizon attributes this to three major causes: One, the Church’s “fear of the unknown” or the immediate and malign association of workers to communists; Two, the “lack of personal witnessing” among Church people to the “real” situation of the workers and; Three, the danger that accompanies involvement in the workers’ struggle which Dizon dubbed as a  “dangerous ministry” especially amid the culture of impunity prevailing in society where trade union leaders and sympathizers become victims of extra-judicial killings and other forms of harassment.

Five labor leaders have been victims of extra-judicial killings under President Aquino while 98 more labor leaders killed under Arroyo are still seeking justice.

Conference Highlights

The conference was national in scope with 250 church delegates from 13 dioceses from Luzon, 10 from Visayas and 10 from Mindanao attending the conference. Some 54 congregations and non-Catholic churches such as the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Methodist, United Council of Churches of the Philippines are also present.

In the labor sector, 150 workers from 32 local unions all over the country, 26 federations and alliances, six (6) national trade union centers and national workers organizations, and six (6) labor non-governmental institutions joined the opening of the four-day conference.

The program began with a cultural presentation of Himig Laya, an independent cultural group based in Manila, depicting the present situation of workers and the people. This was followed by solidarity messages coming from the Papal Nuncio, National Secretariat for Social Action, and various international labor and church groups which emphasized the timeliness and relevance of the four-day gathering.

Msgr. Rommel Kintanar of Archdiocese of Cebu delivered the introductory remarks in the name of Archbishop Palma as host of the National Conference. Kintanar mentioned the value of the conference in remembering Laborem Exercens, an important document published in 1981 and stressed the relevance of the Papal encyclical in the present situation of workers.

In highlighting the need for the Church to engage in practicing the social doctrines of the Church, Kintanar, quoting Archbishop Lagdameo, described the irreverent Church as similar to a Mongoloid – one who has a very big head knowing a lot of doctrines and with very big hands but has short arms for reaching to the poor and short legs that walk short distances and falls low in its papal ministry.

He further affirmed the need to deepen the Church’s partnership with the workers as they are both “partners in productivity and human progress.” He also challenged the church people to be not afraid of this “soul-changing” endeavor, and “give up their comfort zones” by reaching out to workers by continuously hearing their grievances and deepening their involvement in the workers’ struggle.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama in his message noted that only a “few put into action what they believe in” and this gathering is a way of practicing the social doctrines of the Church with the common goal of reclaiming the dignity of human work.###

Reference: Roxanne Omega Doron, Media Liaison Church People-Workers Solidarity, cws.cebu@yahoo.com ,Mobile  0923-872028,  0921-7862022

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