Hontiveros warns new PPA order could kill thousands of jobs in logistics

Senator Risa Hontiveros has filed a resolution urging the Senate to investigate the implementation of the recent administrative order from the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), which she said could eliminate the livelihood of thousands of port workers and cargo handlers in the country.

In proposed Senate Resolution 775, the senator said the Senate must act on the allegations surrounding PPA-AO 12-2018, an administrative order issued by the PPA, which especially threatens the small stakeholders in the shipping industry.

“Kailangan nating protektahan ang kabuhayan ng libu-libong port workers, cargo handlers, at iba pang mga nagtatrabaho sa shipping industry. Napakahalaga ng papel nila sa ekonomiya lalo na ngayong may pandemya. Huwag nating hayaan na marami ang biglaang mawawalan ng trabaho dahil na rin sa patakaran ng pamahalaan,” Hontiveros said.

She explained that PPA-AO 12-2018 implements a so-called “Port Terminal Management Regulatory Framework,” which, in part, mandates that contracts for operation and management of ports under PPA jurisdiction must be awarded to parties offering the highest concession fees in a public bidding.

She said the implementation of the AO should be examined to ensure that economic disruption to the dockworkers is minimized and that the public bidding was fair and above board.

“Nagkaroon ba ng konsultation sa stakeholders bago iimplement ang AO? Because this new framework may unduly favor large corporations who have the capital to offer drastically higher concession fees than cooperatives and local small businesses,” Hontiveros said.

“The framework effectively threatens to displace thousands of workers from these existing concessionaires who are no match to big businesses,” she said.

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)