124 years on, church and workers renew bond of solidarity

MANILA – The Iglesia Filipina Independiente opened its program on February 2, 2026 with a shovel and a worker’s helmet laid on the altar alongside objects representing marginalized sectors and faith. 

The ritual symbolizes a quiet but powerful act of solidarity marking the 124th anniversary of Union Obrera Democratica (UOD).

Bishop Dindo Ranojo, IFI General Secretary, acknowledged UOD’s historical role in the workers movement in the Philippines. “It shows us that the Filipino workers have the capacity and the right to collectively fight for their dignity, just wages, and their human rights. Its essence continues to inspire us,” he said in a speech in Filipino.

About 100 workers, community organizers, advocates, and church people gathered to commemorate the founding anniversary. Among them are port workers and union organizers supported by IFI through their Workers Assistance Program. 

“This is what we do, we have to solidify the church peoples’ response to the workers’ situation. Undeniably, IFI was born because of the workers themselves,” Ranojo added.

UOD was established on February 2, 1902, at Variedades Theater in Sampaloc, Manila to uplift the conditions of the workers during the United States occupation.It was led by revolutionary propagandists Isabelo de los Reyes, Hermenegildo Cruz, and Dominador Gomez, adopting the Vida e Obras de Carlos Marx (Life and Works of Karl Marx) and Los Campesinos (The Farmers) as the foundation of the movement’s principles. The federation also supported the establishment of IFI.

Read: The seeds of workers’ struggle

Church and workers hand-in-hand

According to the Labor Alliance for National Development (LAND), the wages of the workers in the Philippines are among the lowest in the industry. Stevedores, winchmen, and signalmen receive a daily wage of only P680 ($11.53), while checkers and foremen earn P720 ($12.21). These rates rose from P530 ($9) in 2017 under a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that provided a P15 ($0.25) annual increase, and from P480 ($8.14) in 2011, when the CBA set wage increases at P10 ($0.17) per year.

“The reality of pier workers is that they may reach regular status like us, but they remain on-call. The workers work on rotation. In some weeks, what is supposed to be six working days becomes four or five,” said Rogelio Dioquino, labor organizer who has been working in the pier since 1989.

The country’s busiest domestic port, Manila North Harbor Port Inc, is largely owned by Enrique Razon, chairman and CEO of International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI). He owns 50 percent of the shares, while San Miguel Holdings holds 43 percent shares, and Ramon Ang at seven percent. 

ICSTI is the “world’s largest, independent terminal operator” operating across 20 countries or six continents. It employs more than 11,000 people on its 34 terminals. Despite this, the Filipino workers are earning a meager wage.

Dallan Bagtas, another labor organizer, retorted, “It is ironic that their projection: they operate worldwide across continents. But its workers enjoy minimal wages. They live in poor conditions.”

Bagtas shared that the demands of the workers in the pier are just wages, appropriate occupational safety and health mechanisms, and housing as most of the workers who live around the pier area are threatened with eviction due to development projects. 

Joanne Cesario, deputy secretary general of Kilusang Mayo Uno, provided a glimpse into the situation of Filipino workers.  “Aside from low wages, insufficient benefits, and uncertainty in working conditions, the government is resorting to repression, and red-tagging,” Cesario said. “If you build or join a union, you are treated as a terrorist. If you join rallies, you are treated as a terrorist. The government always links our assertion of rights to terrorism.”

Under the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration, two labor organizers were killed and no one has been prosecuted for the deaths of Jude Fernandez and Alex Dolorosa. 

Two union organizers – Loi Magbanua and William Lariosa – have been victims of enforced disappearances. Of the 700 political prisoners in the country, 25 are workers or trade union organizers.  

These realities faced by the workers highlight the need for solidarity from various sectors. The founding anniversary of UOD serves as a stark reminder of the solidarity between workers and church people.

“But we can fight all these,” Cesario added. “All necessary changes in the society happen because of the collective action of the people, and the workers and church people are part of these.” 

Roque Isidro, president of Pambato Cargo Federation Labor Union, has been grateful for the Church’s help in their organizing efforts.

Relevance of UOD remains

Ranojo emphasized that the context of the fight when UOD was established remains the same. “We are not only looking back at history—we are talking about a living wage, security of tenure, job security, workplace safety, the eight-hour workday, and contractualization. These were already issues 124 years ago, and they are still the struggles we are fighting for today,” he said.

The union federation initiated a nationwide strike on August 2, 1902. The first general strike happened at Malabon Commercial Tobacco Factory, following local walkouts in factories of Manila and adjacent cities.

According to the History of the Philippine Labor Movement, the strikes resulted in increased wages in some factories. However, De los Reyes and other union leaders were jailed for four months and suffered political repression.

In a statement, the Church People-Workers Solidarity (CWS) said, “The lessons and legacy of Union Obrera Democratica and Iglesia Filipina Independiente challenges us, church workers, to stand with the side of the oppressed, defend the dignity of work, and actively join the struggle for justice.” (RTS, RVO)

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