Constitutional Reform Will Make Sure Much Less People Will Have To Work For 18 Hours A Day

I remembered one time I questioned if Vice President Leni Loud Robredo truly works for 18 hours a day. Apparently, some people do claim that they work 18 hours a day if they have several jobs because they are so poor. I remembered the first Ang Tanging Ina movie where Ai Ai Delas Alas' character, Ina Montecillo, has many jobs to support her 12 children. Leni Loud's claim of 18 hours a work makes me wonder does she also work at a carnival or some show while she was a congresswoman and now as a vice president? It would be absurd if Leni Loud becomes the president this 2022 and she turns out to be working in a carnival or other jobs at the same time. The movie may seem funny but Ina's lack of common sense can be traced to her being overly fatigue - something that persisted into Ang Tanging Ina N'yong Lahat which shows the perils of presidentialism. 

What really causes poor people to work for 18 hours (or even more) a day?

It's no secret that poverty is a real issue due to a LACK OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. If some poor people are too poor to be OFWs - it becomes an act of desperation to have several jobs. The reason why Ina in Ang Tanging Ina works several jobs is that she's poor and she recklessly had 12 children from three dead husbands. If Ina only had one job - I doubt that she can raise all her 12 children accordingly. The result of Ina's having to work multiple jobs at once is that she can hardly guide her children properly such as how she has some self-absorbed children as a result of it. Worse, Ina even lied about their REAL FINANCIAL SITUATION. 

The issue would be the minimum wage. People finally land a job without having to go abroad. However, the wage isn't as big as it could be. Minimum wages just can't be increased especially if jobs are scarce. What happens is that when one job is there - it's not enough. Being a laborer by day and a janitor by night might render extra income. However, sooner or later, it will take a toll on a person's body if they had to do several jobs at once. Front liners such as doctors and nurses have to take breaks to avoid breaking down and compromising performance. If there's any reason why I think work quality can be shoddy - there's the possibility that the laborer is working several jobs at once. The person may be working as a laborer for 8 hours in a warehouse during the daytime and working more hours as a janitor during the night. Sure, there are breaks in-between but the body is already overworked. The minimum wage may not be enough. 

How constitutional reform can end up breaking this vicious 18-hours work cycle

I remembered how leftist groups are still demanding for salaries to be increased while prices be decreased. Such thinking is absurd because salaries are part of production costs. If a person has to pay a higher salary then it would make sense to increase the prices of goods to do so. To raise salaries without raising prices is operating at a LOSS. Yet, those know-nothing leftists who are under the CPP-NPA umbrella demand it. The big reason why the government refuses to raise the minimum wage is that it's economically NOT FEASIBLE. Besides, one needs to take a look at the salaries of other countries under free markets. Ironically, the minimum wages of Communist Vietnam and Communist China are MUCH HIGHER than the Philippines per day. The reason is that both communist countries operate under a free market. North Korea and Venezuela suck because they don't operate under a free market.

The laws concerning foreign direct investments (FDIs) have been amended over the years. However, there is still a need for OFWs because other sectors remain locked. I think some people told me how the "Marcos Golden Years" were anything but golden as people worked to the bone while Bobong Marcos danced at his personal yacht and was raised as a spoiled Crown Prince. Bobong may have been emperor of the Philippines if his father, Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., wasn't overthrown. The Marcoses were nearly becoming like the Kims of North Korea, especially ONLY ONE CHANNEL shown daily. Marcos Sr. was potentially a Kim Il Sung and Bobong a Kim Jung Il and Sandro may have become a Kim Jung Un if his paternal grandfather wasn't overthrown. I agree with Clarita Carlos from the University of the Philippines (UP) that Bobong needs to admit the Marcos Years brutality. It's safe to assume that some people during martial law worked up to 18 hours or more. Did Leni Loud say she works for 18 hours to trigger a reaction from Bobong or to gain the sympathy of those who did during the "Marcos Golden Years"? What's needed is to completely REMOVE the negative list. I don't care if ABiaS-CBN will get its franchise back as long as the negative list is removed. 

Let's just say that there will be more FDIs. President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed the Foreign Investment Act of 2022 all before he steps down. It seems that Leni Loud is open to more amendments for more FDI. Richard Gordon, though against charter change, is more FDI. Though Gordon needs to see how a parliamentary could've been better especially in regards to his committee against Duterte's deals with Pharmally. What happens is that more FDI means more competition. The Public Services Act can now start introducing more public services to expand and improve areas such as the Metro Railway Transit. If only the late Noynoy Aquino also worked on that regard too with his economic amendments (which strengthened the economy) aside from just finances or blaming Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo day in and day out. Having more FDIs may mean more taxable income for the government. FDIs may also help in the growth of local businesses. Having more service providers and more customers can help in the growth of the local companies. Besides, local companies can still survive in competition if they seek to evolve past their current state. Minimum wages may soon increase as a result of a better economy.

We can think about the introduction of federalism. Let us think of unitary countries that are progressive vs. federal countries that are progressive. I remembered experiencing the TRAFFIC in Beijing can be as bad, if not, worse than Manila. Beijing entered the worst traffic jam last 2010. Federalism will decentralize the Philippines into various regions or states. The regions will be responsible for their airports for instance. Each region will be given delegated powers for economic development. In short, everything will not be overly dependent on too much authority from Imperial Manila. The Second Mactan Airport was started by Noynoy and finished by Duterte. I like to use it as an example of why fixed term limits aren't good. Term limits should be defined by PERFORMANCE instead. A good leader can get another term and a bad leader doesn't get a new term. If the regions were less dependent then they don't rely too much on the capital. Duterte and Leni Loud can delegate the tasks to the regional governors first and they can come a little later. If more regions get better autonomy for the local powers - there would be less need to keep flying to Imperial Manila for jobs. That means people can get a higher salary even in their own regions.

I believe we need to create an environment that gives Filipinos better sleep. It's not just changing the school system maybe by giving students a fresh weekend, starting school late, not giving too much homework, and the like. It would also be that a higher minimum wage means even janitors and laborers can work 8 hours without having to be both. The laborer may want to take a good rest after lifting heavy inventory for the entire day. Just because they're used to hard work doesn't mean it wouldn't wear them out. A businessman may be able to stand working for more than eight hours after the workers are dismissed. It's because the businessman stays behind to wrap things up before returning home. Some establishments have more than one branch manager since managerial duties aren't easy either. A dayshift manager and a nightshift manager can ensure one's rested. One sleeps in the morning and the other in the evening. Having better sleep can create a better productive population. The Philippines can be a great country if we reform any flaws in the constitution right now.