Gabriela Solon Wants RH, Wage Hike, Removal of VAT On Oil In SONA Econ Agenda

Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Luz Ilagan today said President Aquino should set his SONA priorities straight and push for the passage of legislation that will genuinely benefit and give relief to PNoy’s supposed “boss”.

“With economic reforms seen to top the SONA legislative agenda, we call for the prioritization and immediate passage of the P125 Across the Board Wage Hike, the exemption of Petroleum Products from VAT, and a genuinely pro-poor pro-women Reproductive Health bill. These are economic measures that will surely give immediate relief for the poorest women and their families,” said Ilagan. Ilagan who joined women in marching towards Mendiola today to drum up the women’s demands in time for the President’s State of the Nation Address on Monday said,

“We hope that this administration sees the urgency of these three measures and consider the difficulties that the majority of Filipino women and their families are facing right now. Inflation has been pegged at 5.2% in June 2011 which is a 1.5% increase from what was recorded in July 2010.”

“How can you expect workers and their families to cope with these drastic increases in prices of oil and commodities if wages remain in salve-like levels? The least that the President can do is give workers the much needed substantial increase in wages and bring the prices of basic commodities down by removing the 12% VAT.”

At the same time, Ilagan also called for the passage of a pro-poor, pro-women Reproductive Health Law “instead of pushing for legislation that will facilitate the privatization of government hospitals that will deprive poor families of healthcare, let us make maternal and reproductive healthcare services more accessible to poor women.”

Ilagan along with Gabriela Rep. Emmi De Jesus are both co-authors of HB 4244 or the Reproductive Health Bill, HB 375 or the P125 Across the Board Wage Hike Bill and HB 4704 which exempts petroleum products from EVAT.