Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA in the Philippines

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA began assistance in the Philippines in 1987, with an agricultural project in northern Luzon, and has funded over A$2.4 million to our Philippines program between 1984-2008.

In 1988, other projects commenced which included establishing co-operatives with farmers in northern Luzon and blacksmiths training with the National Federation of Sugar Workers Union (NFSW) on the island of Negros.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA's largest project in the Philippines was an AusAID-funded occupational health and safety training project with the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD) from 1994 to 1997, but following the completion of the AusAID contract, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA continued to fund this important work.

Other projects in the Philippines have included a child labour project with the NFSW in Negros and workers' rights project with the union federation, the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), which has been funded with payroll contributions from staff at the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU).

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA also began assistance in 2000 to the Positive Action Foundation of the Philippines Incorporated (PAFPI) for HIV education, as well as providing care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS and their families/friends.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA's recent projects in the Philippines

HIV/AIDS Training, Education and Care

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA began working with the Positive Action Foundation of the Philippines Inc. (PAFPI) in 2000 to support HIV/AIDS training for Philippine migrant workers and to create and support a drop-in centre for those affected by HIV/AIDS. The centre provides care, support, education about HIV/AIDS and safe sex practices, counselling, and therapy for those with HIV/AIDS and their caregivers.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA has provided over A$304,000 in funding to this program in the period 2000-2009. Project funding in 2009/2010 is A$47,229.

Since July 2000, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA - with funding from the Pasasalamat Fund and AusAID - have supported PAFPI in two main areas of their work:

1. Education on HIV/AIDS/STIs for Philippine migrant workers
It is estimated that over 8 million Filipino workers are employed abroad in a wide variety of jobs ranging from engineers and nurses in the Middle East, as domestic workers in Singapore or Hong Kong, as seamen in many of the large, global shipping companies, or as entertainers in Korea or Japan. The remittances that these 8 million Filipinos are sending home to their families is the major source of export income and foreign exchange for the Philippines, and is crucial for the survival of many families.

Some of these workers are placed in occupations or areas of work considered at high-risk for HIV, and pre-departure education on causes and prevention of HIV is seen as essential for the prevention of the spread of the virus in the Philippines upon their return. Rates of HIV infection are growing rapidly in the Philippines, from approximately 16 reported cases per month in the period 2001-2005, to over 60 reported cases per month in 2009.

The Philippine Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) require pre-departure training for Filipino workers about to depart as contract workers abroad. Our partner, PAFPI is accredited with both the DOLE and the POEA to deliver this training on HIV for the Philippine government.

To date, PAFPI has trained over 146,000 Filipino workers on issues surrounding HIV/AIDS and sexually-transmitted infections (STDs). While PAFPI's training reaches around 20,000 workers each year, this represents only one in 50 of the annual Filipino migrant workforce.

PAFPI deliver quality training on HIV, and the standard of their counselling support is considered to be very high. They have developed a strong reputation in the Philippines for their HIV education and counselling work not only in Manila, but throughout many provinces in the Philippines.

2. The Abot Kamay Drop-In Centre for People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)
The Abot Kamay Drop-In Centre is a very important source of support for PLWHA and their families. It provides accommodation, especially to those PLWHA and affected family members who are from the rural provinces, during times when the former have to access medical services in Manila.

Care has also been expanded to include post-mortem services for bereaved family and friends, as well as the provision of funeral services in cases where the deceased was disowned by her/his family.

Since its establishment, the Centre has performed many functions, including facilitating access to care and support, providing advocacy services, and building capacity in support of existing program interventions.

Union Organiser Training

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) - through donations from union officials, organisers and staff to Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA - has long supported the Philippines trade union federation, the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), by training union organisers and other organisers who work with the urban poor.

Each year, this project assists with the training of 10 union organisers for unions affiliated to the KMU. In a year-long course that involves both theory and hands-on practical training, the trainees are taught the skills of organizing to help strengthen their unions. In a global economy where corporations continually try to drive down wages and conditions, workers in one country are often pitted against workers in others. It is crucial to strengthen trade unions and workers' rights in all developing countries.

As well as training 10 union organisers per year, the project also assists the training of two of these organisers to also work with the urban poor in areas of great poverty and exploitation. One such area is Manila's garbage dumps, where the organisation for urban poor, KADAMAY, helps to organise families living and working on the dumps and in other slum areas of the Philippines. This one-year program of organiser training is a continuing program of the KMU aimed at fostering a higher level of social consciousness among both new and experienced full-time organisers. It forms part of the overall education and training program of KMU. In addition to organising skills, the course covers general topics on the aims and ideals of trade unionism, community organising, socialism and courses in political education.

The project's main objectives are:

1. To help solidify the commitment and experience of trade union and community organisers in organising other workers;
2. That this series of education and training be used as a tool to encourage potential organisers to commit to full-time organising work. This is designed to complement the KMU's aim to expand the union movement by reaching out to fellow unions and importantly, establishing unions in non-unionised workplaces.

Of the 10 organisers trained in 2008-09, five were women. This is a continuing commitment of the KMU to further develop women leaders in unions and their communities.

In September 2008, when the global financial and economic crisis exploded, the KMU thought it appropriate to include some material on the crisis in their courses. By mid-January, the effects of the global economic crisis were being severely felt in the country with company closures, massive lay-offs and workday cutbacks. In February 2009, as the regular courses and training were due to finish, KMU decided to extend their program to conduct an additional series of discussions on the global economic crisis.

In 2008-09, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA was able to send A$10,000 to the KMU to assist this organisers' training course. The continued commitment to this project of the AMWU and their staff is greatly appreciated.

Fighting Child Labour in the Philippines

For a child to have to work rather than go to school is a disaster which condemns that child to a lifetime of poverty, job insecurity and low productivity.

In the Philippines, child labourers can be found working as scavengers on Manila's two garbage dumps. Almost 2000 families, parents and children, work all day in the heat, stench and flies to collect aluminium cans, glass bottles, plastic, wood, and anything else that might have even a small resale value. A day's work on the garbage dumps might earn such a family the equivalent of just AU$1.50

As the garbage trucks arrive and dump their load, young and old alike crawl over the rotting material, looking for anything of value. Other trucks arrive to take away the cans, glass bottles (sorted by size and colour), plastic bottles etc, back to factories for reuse. Even old wood is used to produce charcoal, which is then sold.

Project overview
Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA assists a small project with our partner, the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD). The project has two components. Firstly, IOHSAD tries to improve health and safety conditions for children and their parents working at the dumps. Medical waste, including needles and broken glass, are the main problems, with any cuts quickly becoming infected. Hookworm is also a major problem, and the children are tested and treated when funds permit. The children are also encouraged to wear discarded shoes, even if they don't fit, as it is safer than bare feet. Other medical problems include diarrhoea and respiratory infections, especially TB.

Secondly, the children need to learn to read and write so that, should the opportunity arise, they can at least begin their formal education with some basic knowledge. The nearest school is about two kilometres away and enrolment fees mean that only 30% of the children attend primary school and just 3% begin secondary school. IOHSAD and the local community organisation for urban poor, KADAMAY, have therefore built two childcare centres, where children can attend a pre-school in a safe, hygienic environment, while having an opportunity to learn to read and write, and develop basic numeracy skills. The second childcare centre was opened late last year and was built with donations from the APHEDA NSW South Coast support group.

In addition, basic services such as water are not available. Because the nearest water pipe is about one kilometre away, children carry water into the dump to sell. IOHSAD and KADAMAY are working with the people on the dumps to campaign for better education and water services.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA supports this project with approximately A$5,000-A$7,000 a year, received in donations from our regular monthly donors and other fundraising. In 2008/09, this funding has enabled training in hygiene for parents and more medical testing for children, as well as providing a small part-time wage for the teachers working in the two childcare centres.

You can support this work in the Philippines by becoming a donor today.

© Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA 2003.

Last Modified: Monday, 09-Nov-2009 10:03:19 EST
This page: http://apheda.org.au/projects/philippines/history/1256693893_23737.html