Good evening from Manila! Just a little check in- we are all pretty tired but agree that our days have been productive. Tomorrow we head to the southernmost region of the Philippines- Mindanao- to the city of Davao to learn more about the plight of the indigenous people of the Philippines. But first, today...
In learning about labor laws, migrant workers, and human rights violations, we had a busy day. There is so much information coming at us from a million different directions. It would be easy to do a data-dump onto this blog, but in the interest of saving you some statistical boredom, I've chosen to share with you a story we heard today.
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On May 13, 2015, a fire broke out in a factory on the outskirts of Manila. Today we met Myrna and Ammied, survivors of the fire, and Marlyn, who's 24 year old son died in the fire with approximately 73 others.
Myrna and Ammied, survivors of the fire and former Kentex workers, told us the explicit story of what happened that day and what conditions in the factory were like.
L to R, Ammied & Myrna, survivors. Marlyn, mother of a 24 year old who died in the fire. Me, Rachel, and our translator.
They worked making rubber flip flops. The chemicals used in making the rubber soles were unprotected and unmarked- there were no safety precautions, no sprinklers, no trainings on what to do in case of an emergency. Myrna and Ammied tell us that the chemicals smelled awful, but they were not provided with proper safety gear or working conditions. The workers had to purchase their own safety masks and gloves because the ones they were provided were thin and would break very easily. They had less than an hour break for over an 8 hour work day because they had a quota- they had to make 2,500 pairs (5,000 shoes) every day. If my math is correct- that's 83 shoes/ hour- IF you don't take a break to use the restroom or eat. The workers had 3 breaks per day, one in the morning for 10 minutes, 15 minutes for lunch, and 10 minutes in the afternoon. If they were late in returning from break, their employer would tell them that they could hire another if they didn't want the job.
They were perpetually told that they are expendable machines, good for nothing other than making rubber flip flops. Ammied tells us he was often so tired that he would be almost sleeping while working, but couldn't. The smell of the chemicals was so bad that he lost the use of his taste buds sometimes- his whole head was constantly foggy and he was losing a lot of weight. There was ventilation in a separate room for the product (FLIP FLOPS!) but not in the room where actual humans were working.
The day of the fire, there was welding on a door and a spark caught fire on the second floor while some of the workers were on break. The building was set up so that the windows were very high up-so that the product would not be stolen by the workers themselves. Myrna, who was on break when the fire began, said that they tried to put water on it (due to lack of safety training) but the water only cause the chemical fire to spread. She shared with us that she could hear the cries for help coming from her coworkers as she ran to the gate, but there was nothing they could do. The fire had spread to the staircase and those on the second floor could not get out. Because the windows were so high up, they could only see the hands of the people reaching desperately for help.
Approximately 75 people died that day. Most who died were women and young people (15-21). The official report says that 72 workers were burned to death, but they learned that there were 3 more unreported bodies found. The survivors and their families believe there were actually more than 72. Kentex doesn't keep a record of these workers, so there is really no way to be sure. There are still many parents who don't know where their children are, assuming they died in the fire.
I am beginning to find that the more I ask questions, the more questions I have. Who am I in all of this? What does this have to do with globalization? Can I safely assume these are not uncommon labor situations? What does it mean to me (and the world) when I purchase something made in the Philippines? Am I stimulating the Philippine economy or am I putting more money into the hands of the rich? Does my silence actually support these human rights violations?
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After hearing these heartbreaking stories, we held a vigil for those lives lost and stood in solidarity with our storytellers. The photos & liturgy (paraphrased) that follow are from the vigil.
The news says, "except for 3 bodies- the first recovered from the accident site- all 69 had been burnt beyond recognition. The news reported that they could no longer be recognized. The stabbing pain about this fact is that even before death came to them, they were treated as if they were already non-human beings, mere muscles and bones that manufactured slippers. They were not recognized as people who need decent pay, decent jobs, decent housing and sufficient food... Trapped within a walled and barb-wired factory, there was no escape. They were locked in and gobbled up by fire. They were left beyond recognition. In their living, they were considered nothing but producers of slippers. Their deaths are a mournful, yet glaring, evidence that the poor amongst us would be rendered to insignificance- bodies unrecognizable- in the working place that became their grave.
We remember the dead of the Kentex factory fire-
lives taken with cruel disregard of their workers rights.
In an explosion of chemicals, sparked by a heartless repair
ordered by management, a factory teeming with women, men, and youth,
which had been fortified like a prison, became a blazing deaths rap.
Seventy-two Filipinos burned alive in an inferno of profit-driven greed.
Awaken within us a righteous anger and indignation,
that we may stand in solidarity with the workers
to denounce inhumane working conditions and oppressive labor practices.
Raise us up as a thunderous voice for justice and decency.
Give us courage to break down prisons of exploitation and build up respect of the human dignity of each and every worker. Amen.
