By Harold Hisona

Published: August 11, 2012

Continuing its relief drive which started last Aug. 7, labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno is calling for more donations for victims of the heavy rains and massive flooding that hit the country these past weeks.

KMU is continuing its relief drive called Task Force Obrero, which it initiated together with pro-worker groups and institutions, and has called on its members, the public and its local and international partners for donations.

“We continue to call on our members, the public, media groups, the Church, entrepreneurs, politicians and our international partners for donations for victims of the massive flooding who are mostly workers, farmers and other poor people,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.

“We thank those who have extended their help. We know, however, that many of our kababayans still need all the help that we can extend,” he added.

“We also demand that the Aquino government speed up and increase its relief and rehabilitation efforts because our people are badly in need of these and more typhoons are coming our way. It should also ‘moderate the greed’ of the oil and power firms, call center companies and other capitalists,” he said.

Despite the heavy rains and flooding, KMU has been carrying out a house-to-house campaign since last Aug. 7 to immediately gather donations from Quezon City residents for flood victims, using its sound system for protest actions to appeal to the public.

It has immediately delivered a modest amount of relief goods to residents of Gulod and Bagong Silangan in Quezon City and Marikina City.

“Most of our members in urban poor and rural communities are affected. We continue to be in touch with them and it’s clear that they still need our donations,” Labog said.

“We are in the process of forming Workers Service Brigades which will go to urban poor and rural communities to deliver relief goods and extend solidarity to our fellow Filipinos who are in need right now,” he added.

KMU has called on its unions and mass organizations, as well as its international partners, to donate for the flood victims.

Task Force Obrero is composed of KMU, Anakpawis Partylist, Pagkakaisa ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide, Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research, Center for Trade-Union and Human Rights, and Institute for Occupational Health and Development.