Jonathan Frederic De Santos

A demonstrator blocks personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Philippine National Police as they attempt to extinguish the burning 'Trio Delubyo' effigy during a Labor Day protest in Manila on Friday, May 1, 2026. The move to extinguish the fire comes as national law bans open burning, particularly in public spaces. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1777621767167viber_image_2026-05-01_15-43-57-211.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Labor rights advocates join workers as they march along España Boulevard in Manila to mark Labor Day on Friday, May 1, 2026. The group pushed for higher wages, job security, and the protection of workers’ rights. Protesters attempted to proceed toward the US Embassy but were stopped by police along Kalaw Avenue during the mobilization.
Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Groups on Friday criticized the Philippine National Police (PNP) for blocking access to the Mendiola Peace Arch as thousands of workers and individuals gathered for their demonstration on Labor Day.</p><p>The Laban Manggagawa coalition and Kilusang Mayo Uno earlier in the day turned España Boulevard into a sea of red and white as they called for higher wages and for long-term solutions to the crisis brought about by US and Israel’s war on Iran.</p><p>Protesters had three primary demands: the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law, an immediate rollback of fuel prices, and a substantial increase in the national minimum wage.</p><p>While the initial plan was to march to Mendiola for their program, the national police placed barricade and barbed wire on many of the roads leading to a traditional endpoint of rallies because of its proximity to Malacañan Palace.</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:514px;height:626px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2050028439273607391&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-05-01T07%3A57%3A51.346624%3A63b5e2da-3a17-452a-affb-09030cac893c%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=86fbdddd8d6b3b4a40fa3d266d3b98368b7f3bea&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2050028439273607391"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>Rallyists instead held their program along Recto Avenue and finished their demonstration early.</p><p>Kilusang Mayo Uno Chairperson Jerome Adonis said blocking access to Mendiola was a sign of fear from the Marcos Jr. administration.</p><p>“Gumawa kami ng dayalogo sa Manila Police District nung nakaraan, humarap ang mga colonel nila. Ang response pala nila, barikada. So talagang walang hiya,” Adonis told ABS-CBN News.</p><p>(We had a dialogue with the Manila Police Departments, we talked to their colonel. But their response was to put up barricades. How shameless.)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/1/protesters-demand-wage-hike-cheaper-commodities-on-labor-day-0917">Massive Labor Day protest demands wage hike, relief from soaring prices<br/></a></div><p>Adonis said despite this, the protest was successful, noting that they were able to air their grievances.</p><p>“Ayaw naman namin makipag-clash sa kanila, pero nakita ng ating mga kababayan, nasaksihan natin, na sa Araw ng Manggagawa, ang dala namin ay isyu ng mamamayan, ang pagtaas ng sahod, pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin, pagbasura sa Oil Deregulation Law, at pagtanggal sa VAT at excise tax,” he said.</p><p>(We did not want to clash with them, but the people saw that on Labor Day, we were pushing the people&#x27;s issues: The need for wage hikes, rising prices, scrapping the Oil Deregulation Law, Value-Added Tax and the excise tax)</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1777621807787viber_image_2026-05-01_15-44-35-641.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A demonstrator blocks personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Philippine National Police as they attempt to extinguish the burning &#x27;Trio Delubyo&#x27; effigy during a Labor Day protest in Manila on Friday, May 1, 2026. The move to extinguish the fire comes as national law bans open burning, particularly in public spaces. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>Trade Union Congress of the Philippines spokesperson Carlos Miguel Oñate, for his part, said this year’s Labor Day is &quot;even less happy&quot; than last year’s.</p><p>“Mas lumala ang krisis ng sweldo, mas lumala yung krisis ng presyo. Pero ano ang nakita natin? Yung gobyerno natin, petiks pa rin sa kabila ng krisis,” said Oñate.</p><p>(The wage crisis has worsened, the price crisis has worsened. But what are we seeing? The government is idle in the face of crisis.)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/1/senators-call-for-wage-hike-expanded-aid-programs-for-workers-1244">Senators call for wage hike, expanded aid programs for workers<br/></a></div><p>He said government has not acted to increase wages or to review and scrap the VAT and excise tax.</p><p>He also urged President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to hold dialogues with labor groups and listen to their concerns. According to Oñate, around 20,000 people were present during their protest action.</p><p>“Kaya kami nagma-martsa dito, apat na taon nang hindi kinakausap ng Pangulo ang manggagawa. Pero hanggang ngayon, makaabot man lang sa Mendiola nabarikadahan kami,” Oñate added.</p><p>(We are marching today because the president has not talked to us in four years. And now, we cannot even reach Mendiola because they put up barricades.)</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1777621866727viber_image_2026-05-01_15-44-13-336.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>Manila Police District spokesperson Police Maj. Philipp Ines said the demonstration was peaceful and there were no untoward incidents recorded.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/4/28/labor-groups-ask-gov-t-for-wage-hike-amid-middle-east-conflict-1732">‘Wag kami i-ghost’: Labor groups ask gov’t for wage increase, show leadership amid Middle East conflict<br/></a></div><p>He also clarified that the Mendiola Peace Arch is not among the freedom parks in Manila. </p><p>A law from the Marcos Sr. dictatorship requires permits for activities and public demonstrations outside of designated freedom parks.</p><p>“Malaya silang nakapagprograma dito at sinasabi ko nga, nagpapasalamat tayo kasi naging maayos naman ang kanilang programa, nasabi nila ang kanilang gustong iparating sa ating pamahalaan at iba’t ibang issue ng ating pamahalaan,” he added.</p><p>(They are free to hold there program here. We are thankful that the protest was peaceful. They were able to air their grievances on different issues)</p><p>The MPD had a much lower crowd estimate of just 3,000 protesters on Recto.</p>

<p>The Laban Manggagawa coalition and Kilusang Mayo Uno earlier in the day turned España Boulevard into a sea of red and white as they called for higher wages and for long-term solutions to the crisis brought about by US and Israel’s war on Iran.</p>

The Laban Manggagawa coalition and Kilusang Mayo Uno earlier in the day turned España Boulevard into a sea of red and white as they called for higher wages and for long-term solutions to the crisis brought about by US and Israel’s war on Iran.

Workers call protest a success despite PNP blocking way to Mendiola

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Workers call protest a success despite PNP blocking way to Mendiola

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 01, 2026 03:57 PM PHT

Read More:

Labor Day

Kilusang Mayo Uno

Trade Union Congress of the Philippines

Manila Police District

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