Franco Nube 
Mabuhay ang mga manggagawang Pilipino! 🇵🇭
Celebrated annually on the 1st of May, the Philippine Labor Day is a national holiday that sheds light on the struggles and celebrate the contributions and achievements of the labor sector of our nation. It serves to elucidate the crucial role of workers in the nation’s struggle for progress.
The first commemoration of Labor Day in the Philippines was on May 1st of 1903, when Isabelo Delos Reyes and Herminigildo Cruz, founders of the first labor organization “Union Obrera Democratica de Filipina” (U.O.D.F) mobilized more than 100,000 employees to protest against the American-led government at the time for better working conditions.
A decade after the inaugural protests, the first recognized celebration of Labor Day in the Philippines was held on May 1st, 1913 when one of the founders of U.O.D.F, Herminigildo Cruz, demanded for improved rights for workers of the labor sector. These protests for worker’s rights were spearheaded by the Congreso Obrero de Filipinas. Through these movements, improved working conditions were attained including eight-hour shifts, increased minimum wage, equal labor standards for women, an end to child labor, and an employer’s liability to his employees.
It is important to honor the contributions of the labor sector, and shed light on the struggles faced by the nation’s workforce. This day serves as a platform for the labor sector to push for reforms that prioritize social justice and equality.
