CHARLES JOHN B.

DOL CRITICAL ESSAY

ISSUE: CONTRACTUALIZATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

Philippines' compose of 106.7 million Filipino's. The growth of population has been
increasing every year. This results in the rise of the demand in employment. Businesses
in the Philippines provide jobs to the workers. Conversely, some are limited to work for
3-6 months with sometimes slight benefits or no benefits given to the workers. This has
been one of the longest socio-economic issues in the country until now- the
contractualization.

Contractualization is popular in the nation's business industry. The implementation of

this matter is advantageous for businesses to minimize their costs. Through this
scheme, they avoid regularizing workers, and therefore shun the act of granting benefits
like 13th month pay, annual leaves, health benefits, social security benefits, and other
similar benefits which makes the business incur reduction of employment costs and
company spending.

Most of the Filipino workers are content in this kind of set up. Society inculcates this
ideology in the mindset of the people that it is better to be a contractual worker than no
job at all, which is a false presentation of truth. Meanwhile, business owners are
enjoying the fruits of taking advantage of the situation. They will generate high income
because they spend low. In this case, the economy determines their values (workers as
contented ; business owners as profit-oriented).

It is presumed that we are working because we love what we do. Unfortunately,

contractual workers no longer feel the passion and love for their work. They treat work
as a means for survival. They do not give emphasis whether they feel the alienation
towards their work because they are being paid which matters for them.

We all know that Christianity in the Philippines is robust. Many workers are praying that
God will make a way for them to be regularized at work. Workers accept their
weaknesses so they seek the guidance and help of God who is powerful to grant their
requests. This implies that religion has a huge influence in the contentment of workers
in contractualization. Marx Philosophy on his critics of religion is evident to contractual
workers. Alienated workers have reasons and excuses such as there is a being who is
powerful which makes them pacified. Thus, they do not join rallies or ask for revolution.
For the reason that they believe that God will provide what their desire is. The
contentment of the contractual workers is determined by their religion.

It is important that contractual workers must recognize their worth in the society. The
social structure in the community is seen inversely. The workers are the primary asset
of every business to gain profit. Hence, they must seek for change in the dominant
material ideology.
Although religion eases the pain of the workers, it does not eradicate the fact that unfair
treatment of benefits will always be there. Religion can not save them from these
material forces. Marx's Philosophy helps us see the realities of life. Workers need to
open their eyes that religion is just a mere opium of the people which makes them feel
everything will be right but in reality it is not.