Hard work

If it were an ordinary May first, it would be a holiday where employees will be ready to find the nearest place to go for a staycation. Others who feel the need to express themselves will also be ready with placards in their hand. The annual march down the streets of downtown Cebu city will be missed this year. No cheers, no chants, no anything because of the pandemic.

Of course, who can forget the incident last year where protesters, despite their strict adherence to COVID protocols were taken by force to be sanctioned. It was traumatizing on my part especially that most of those who were taken are my acquaintances from my college university and those whom I knew from the industry. It was nerve-wrecking and scary at the same time. I mean, if they could do that to a bunch of people who only wanted to air out their grievances, they could also do it to anyone.

The first of May will totally be different today. Maybe there will only be a few people who will be going downtown to shout in the middle of the street what they want. The way I see it, it is more or less the same issue every year - poverty, unemployment, unequal benefits, and so on. As long as the prices of the basic commodities continue to be on the rise, the ordinary Filipino will keep on calling for what it deserves. Heck, others will also be calling out for failed promises. These promises are what these politicians say during the campaign period. Once elected into the position, the person's traits go to a different level.

We have to admit that the workforce gives life to our economy. It is not so much about the millions of stocks exchanged per day but the workers in the production line that are growing in numbers. The pay may not be as high as executives but at the end of the day, they are the ones who have the spending power. The more people spend, the more money is circulated and grown just like the blood in a nervous system. Their vitality is indeed undeniable which means they should not be taken for granted.

That is what I hate about our system. We are so engrossed in positions but never take into consideration the workers who toiled to put those on the top to where others are mostly now. Saying that means that they should be given equal rights such as healthcare, wage adjustments, and the like. If their needs are met, then there would not be any excuse for them to complain. We live in such an unfair world where hard work is oftentimes translated only to a few bucks.

May 1 is an ordinary day. Maybe I'll suspend my work for this day and enjoy it because it is, after all, Labor Day. On the other hand, others may still be working hard today. Check your privileges.