Employees of the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) are expressing deep frustration over the continuous neglect of their welfare by the CDC management, which has failed to address critical compensation issues affecting 475 rank-and-file workers for the past three years.
In a recent media forum, the Association of Concerned CDC Employees (ACCES), led by president Edsel Manalili and vice president Randy Gomez, revealed that despite their repeated efforts to bring the issue to light, the management has remained silent and has done nothing to resolve the long-standing problem regarding the implementation of the Compensation and Position Classification System (CPCS).
For the past three years, the workers have been following up with the management and the government regarding the decision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the implementation of the CPCS. The delay in its implementation has directly impacted their financial well-being, with inflation further exacerbating the strain on their already reduced income.
“We have been left to fend for ourselves. The CDC management has completely ignored our concerns,” Manalili said. The workers have been calling for the implementation of the CPCS, which would adjust their compensation and provide much-needed allowances and benefits that were taken away with the system’s rollout.
In a letter dated November 14, 2024, addressed to President Marcos through Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs Atty. Anna Liza G. Logan, Manalili emphasized that the delay in the CPCS adjustment has resulted in the removal of crucial allowances, benefits, and incentives. Employees are now forced to shoulder the costs of their own health maintenance organization (HMO), which was previously provided by the corporation.
“Under the current arrangement, we have lost our retirement, health benefits, insurance, and allowances. We are now averaging a loss of P5,000 each month,” Gomez said, highlighting the severe impact on their livelihoods. The workers also expressed anger that the CDC has not provided any feedback on the matter for the last two years, leaving them feeling completely ignored by their own employer.
Despite the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) forwarding the issue to Malacañang, no tangible solution has been provided. The workers also revealed that even CDC management has been “silent,” offering no explanation or update on the matter, further deepening their sense of neglect.
“Our colleagues are suffering, and some have even passed away waiting for this issue to be addressed. It is heartbreaking that the management has not taken any action to help the people who have worked so hard for this company,” Manalili and Gomez lamented.
The workers are now urgently calling for national intervention, hoping that their plight will finally reach the ears of those who can make a difference. Despite years of patience and numerous appeals, they feel that the CDC management has abandoned them in their time of need.
