BIEN Cebu

05/08/2026

FROM PROUD BISAYA BAI: GROUP SLAMS ARCHIVAL ON PAX SILICA STANCE

The BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN)-Cebu criticized Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival after he floated the idea of positioning Cebu City as a hub for the proposed Pax Silica initiative, arguing that the city should instead prioritize addressing basic public services and workers’ welfare.

BIEN-Cebu President Kyle Enero said artificial intelligence is not inherently harmful, but raised concerns over its increasing use in the IT-BPM industry to automate work and reduce employment opportunities as more foreign clients adopt AI technologies.

The labor group also questioned the proposal to promote energy-intensive AI infrastructure while Cebu City continues to face recurring brownouts, water shortages, and rising utility costs.

BIEN-Cebu warned that the initiative could reinforce an economic model that relies heavily on foreign investment, leaving workers vulnerable whenever companies relocate to countries with lower labor costs.

The group also cited concerns raised by communities in Central Luzon over the proposed Pax Silica project, saying Cebu should avoid development that could lead to the displacement of residents and threaten workers’ livelihoods.

BIEN-Cebu urged the city government to focus on flooding, waste management, reliable electricity and water services, and the creation of secure and dignified jobs, stressing that development should primarily benefit Cebuanos.

Click here, pbb.fyi/NewsUpdate for the latest updates.

GROUP SLAMS ARCHIVAL ON PAX SILICA STANCE

The BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN)-Cebu criticized Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival after he floated the idea of positioning Cebu City as a hub for the proposed Pax Silica initiative, arguing that the city should instead prioritize addressing basic public services and workers’ welfare.

BIEN-Cebu President Kyle Enero said artificial intelligence is not inherently harmful, but raised concerns over its increasing use in the IT-BPM industry to automate work and reduce employment opportunities as more foreign clients adopt AI technologies.

The labor group also questioned the proposal to promote energy-intensive AI infrastructure while Cebu City continues to face recurring brownouts, water shortages, and rising utility costs.

BIEN-Cebu warned that the initiative could reinforce an economic model that relies heavily on foreign investment, leaving workers vulnerable whenever companies relocate to countries with lower labor costs.

The group also cited concerns raised by communities in Central Luzon over the proposed Pax Silica project, saying Cebu should avoid development that could lead to the displacement of residents and threaten workers’ livelihoods.

BIEN-Cebu urged the city government to focus on flooding, waste management, reliable electricity and water services, and the creation of secure and dignified jobs, stressing that development should primarily benefit Cebuanos.

Click here, pbb.fyi/NewsUpdate for the latest updates.

05/08/2026

PRESS RELEASE
August 5, 2026

BIEN-Cebu to Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival: Don't Be Complicit in Pax Silica

The BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN)-Cebu criticized Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival after he floated the idea of positioning Cebu City as a hub for the proposed Pax Silica initiative, citing artificial intelligence (AI) as the future of economic development.

According to the group, while advances in AI are inevitable, the more urgent question is whose interests the technology serves and at whose expense it is deployed.

"Artificial intelligence itself is not the problem. The problem is how it is being used. Today, AI is increasingly being utilized by the IT-BPM industry to automate work and reduce jobs. As foreign clients integrate AI into their operations, many customer service functions—the lower end of the global outsourcing supply chain—are being eliminated, leaving workers to bear the consequences," said Kyle Enero, President of BIEN-Cebu.

The group also questioned the wisdom of promoting energy-intensive AI infrastructure at a time when Cebu City continues to grapple with recurring brownouts, water shortages, and rising utility costs.

"Sige na lang gani og brownout ug kakulang sa tubig, unya magduso pa gyud ta og AI hubs nga mas dako pa ang konsumo sa kuryente ug tubig? Dili ba mas angay unahon ang panginahanglan sa katawhan?" Enero asked.

BIEN-Cebu further noted that Mayor Archival's proposal reinforces the assessment made by the Visayas Institute of Human Dignity and Advancement (VIHDA) in its 2026 Cebu Labor Summary, which described Cebu as an "Assembly City of the South." According to the group, this reflects the country's continued positioning as a site for foreign-led production under initiatives such as Pax Silica, particularly in the global semiconductor industry.

The organization warned that this model of development risks repeating the experience of export processing zones, where employment remains highly dependent on foreign investment and workers are left vulnerable whenever companies relocate in search of cheaper labor.

"We do not want more MEPZ-like enclaves where jobs are precarious and workers are left behind the moment investors find cheaper labor elsewhere. Cebu deserves development that creates secure and dignified employment, not another cycle of dependence on foreign capital," Enero said.

The labor group also raised concerns over the potential displacement of communities should large-scale Pax Silica facilities be established in Cebu City, pointing to previous experiences surrounding the development of the South Road Properties.

"Farmers, residents, and Aeta communities in Central Luzon have already sounded the alarm over the threat of displacement posed by proposed Pax Silica sites in their region. We do not want Cebu to repeat the same mistakes," Enero added.

BIEN-Cebu called on Mayor Archival to reconsider his support for Pax Silica and instead prioritize addressing the city's pressing concerns, including flooding, the rising cost and reliability of electricity and water services, waste management, and the protection of workers' livelihoods.

"Development should first improve the lives of Cebuanos. Any proposal that sacrifices workers, communities, and public resources in favor of foreign corporate interests deserves the highest level of public scrutiny," the group concluded.

For reference:

KYLE ENERO
President, BIEN-Cebu
[email protected]

04/08/2026

FROM PROUD BISAYA BAI: Cebu BPO workers’ group BIEN-Cebu has criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s proposed tax reform measures, saying the planned increase in income tax exemptions could be offset by higher taxes on consumer goods.

Link to full story in the comments section.👇

Cebu BPO workers’ group BIEN-Cebu has criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s proposed tax reform measures, saying the planned increase in income tax exemptions could be offset by higher taxes on consumer goods.

Link to full story in the comments section.

03/08/2026

PRESS RELEASE
August 3, 2026

On Marcos Jr.'s Tax Reform Plans: One step forward, two full steps back

The BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN)-Cebu criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s proposed tax reform program as "deceptive" and "bogus," following moves in the House of Representatives to offset the planned increase in the income tax exemption ceiling by raising taxes on consumer goods such as sweetened beverages, v**e products, and other items.

According to the group, while raising the income tax exemption threshold to ₱350,000 may appear beneficial to workers, the accompanying proposal to increase consumption taxes merely shifts the burden back onto ordinary Filipinos.

"For workers, this is a step forward and two full steps back," said Kyle Enero, President of BIEN-Cebu. "The administration presents the proposal as tax relief, but workers eventually pay for it through higher prices on everyday goods. This is not genuine tax reform—it is merely shifting the burden from one pocket to another."

BIEN-Cebu said the proposal reflects what it described as the government's continued adherence to a neoliberal and regressive taxation system, where government revenues are increasingly sourced from consumption taxes rather than from those with the greatest capacity to pay.

"The administration appears more interested in generating public approval amid declining trust ratings than in fundamentally reforming an unjust tax system," Enero added. "If the solution to increasing workers' take-home pay is simply to impose new taxes elsewhere, then workers are not truly better off."

The group argued that instead of increasing consumer taxes, the government should strengthen progressive sources of public revenue. It urged the administration to improve tax collection efficiency, intensify efforts against tax evasion, curb corruption, review excessive government spending—including on militarization—and reassess debt servicing policies to create greater fiscal space for social services and workers' welfare. BIEN-Cebu likewise pointed to the long-standing unpaid estate tax liability of the Marcos estate—reported at around ₱203 billion with penalties—as an example of the government's failure to consistently enforce tax laws against those with the greatest capacity to pay.

"It is unjust to ask workers to shoulder additional taxes while long-standing tax obligations involving the country's most powerful families remain unresolved," Enero said.

BIEN-Cebu likewise called for a higher income tax exemption ceiling and the inclusion of workers' benefits and incentives among tax-exempt income, noting that many BPO employees rely on these allowances to supplement relatively low basic pay.

“Increasing income tax exemptions should not be at the cost of higher consumer taxes. Many BPO companies enjoy years of tax exemptions and Marcos Jr. himself has billions of pesos in ill-gotten wealth,” added Enero.

Finally, the group renewed its call for the enactment of a wealth tax targeting the country's wealthiest individuals, arguing that those with the greatest economic capacity should bear a larger share of the responsibility for financing public services.

"Time and again, workers and ordinary Filipinos are asked to shoulder the burden of raising government revenues, while large corporations continue to enjoy generous incentives and many of the country's wealthiest continue to accumulate unprecedented fortunes," Enero said. "A genuinely pro-worker tax system does not rely on taxing consumption. It taxes wealth more fairly, closes avenues for tax avoidance and evasion, and ensures that even the most powerful are held to the same standards as ordinary Filipinos."

For reference:

KYLE ENERO
President, BIEN-Cebu
Vice-President for Visayas, BIEN
[email protected]

02/08/2026

IN THE NEWS: Kyle Enero, President of BIEN-Cebu, was interviewed earlier at Bombo Radyo Cebu. He spoke about the campaigns led by BIEN and the need for these in the advancement of workers’ rights and welfare.

Watch the interview (0:00 to 16:52): https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EQfkQfAZz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

01/08/2026

READ: BIEN's position against Pax Silica

BIEN Stands in Firm Opposition to the Pax Silica Initiative

BIEN stands in firm opposition to the Pax Silica initiative because it threatens to deepen the exploitation of Filipino labor while sacrificing our national sovereignty, communities, and natural resources.

The project is being presented as an “AI-native investment acceleration hub” that will anchor semiconductor production, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and critical minerals processing in the Philippines. But beneath the promise of technology and investment lies another model of development that secures global supply chains and strategic resources for foreign powers amid the escalating US-China technology war, while leaving Filipino workers to bear the costs.

Workers have heard these promises before. BPO workers have lived them.

For decades, workers have been told that foreign investments would bring quality jobs and shared prosperity. Instead, workers continue to endure low wages, contractualization, attacks on unions, unsafe workplaces, and insecure employment. There is nothing in Pax Silica that guarantees living wages, security of tenure, freedom of association, or safe and humane working conditions.

For BPO workers, this arrangement is already familiar. Every day, we provide skilled labor for clients thousands of kilometers away, carrying out work shaped by decisions made in foreign boardrooms. We know what it means to answer to priorities set elsewhere and to have our jobs affected by decisions we have no hand in making. Pax Silica threatens to deepen this same pattern, extending foreign dependence beyond labor to our land, natural resources, strategic industries, and national development.

The lesson is one BPO workers know well: when development depends on serving foreign interests, workers are expected to absorb the risks while others reap the rewards. Pax Silica asks the Filipino people to accept this same arrangement—not only in our workplaces, but in our national development.

The document itself identifies “enhanced operations” within an Economic Security Zone that would allow unrestricted access to Philippine labor, minerals, energy resources, and strategic location. It also raises concerns over “joint governance” arrangements and proposals for “enhanced operational certainty” that undermine Philippine sovereignty. Filipino workers and communities should not be asked to surrender democratic control over our country’s resources in exchange for promises of investment.

Pax Silica also raises serious concerns about the environment. Massive data centers, semiconductor facilities, and mineral extraction require enormous amounts of electricity, water, and land while generating pollution and accelerating the destruction of our natural resources. At a time when ordinary Filipinos already struggle with soaring electricity, water, and housing costs, it is unacceptable to prioritize the demands of multinational corporations over the needs of our people.

Most alarming is that the initiative could further integrate the Philippines into global military logistics and weapons production under the guise of economic development. Filipino workers should never become instruments in geopolitical conflicts that serve the interests of powerful nations rather than our own people.

True industrialization is not built on cheap labor, unrestricted corporate privileges, and foreign control. It is built on national development that creates decent jobs, strengthens domestic industries and Filipino technological capacity, protects the environment, respects workers’ rights, and upholds Philippine sovereignty. The Philippines needs industrialization that serves the Filipino people, not one that deepens our dependence on foreign capital and geopolitical interests.

BIEN calls on workers, trade unions, and all democratic sectors to oppose Pax Silica and reject any development model that promotes exploitation under the banner of innovation. Artificial intelligence and advanced technology must benefit workers and society, not become another tool for extracting corporate profit, weakening labor rights, and placing the Philippines at the center of the US-China power struggle.

The Philippines deserves technological development that serves the Filipino people, not a development model that places our labor, natural resources, and future at the service of foreign corporate profit and imperialist ambitions.

# # #

👉Sign the Petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/bpo-workers-unite-against-pax-silica-stand-for-justice-environmental-protection-and-national-sovereignty
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29/07/2026

LOOK: Kyle Enero, President of BIEN-Cebu and one of the conveners of KASUKKO, joined the live viewing of VP Sara Duterte’s ongoing impeachment trial earlier today held at the Rev. Jorge Patalinghug Memorial Church.

29/07/2026

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

The Visayas Institute for Human Dignity and Advancement (VIHDA) hosted its annual State of the Labor Address (SOLA) on the eve of President Marcos Jr.'s State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Drawing from its newly released 2025 Labor Summary, the discussion laid bare the realities of Central Visayas' economy, particularly Cebu, characterizing the region as deindustrialized, export-oriented, and import-dependent. The report underscored how the region's economic direction has deepened its dependence on foreign capital while neglecting its capacity for domestic production and industrial development.

The service sector continues to account for the largest share of the region's gross domestic product, overwhelmingly surpassing both the industry and agriculture sectors. This reflects the region's limited manufacturing and production base. As a result, it relies heavily on imports from other regions and countries to meet even the most basic needs of its people.

As a service-dominated economy, employment is concentrated in sectors such as retail, real estate, finance, IT-BPM, food service, and other service-oriented industries. The region's heavy reliance on foreign investment, particularly in the IT-BPM sector, has driven local governments to prioritize upskilling and reskilling programs aimed at keeping workers competitive in an increasingly volatile global market. Faced with threats such as the proposed Keep Call Centers in America Act, these policies risk reducing workers to a flexible labor force for foreign corporations instead of advancing genuine national industrialization and creating secure, long-term, and dignified employment.

Against a backdrop of widespread poverty, persistently low wages, contractualization, and the lack of quality and stable employment, unionization in the region remains weak. Speakers from various labor unions and workers' organizations emphasized that unions are indispensable in enabling workers to collectively bargain, defend their rights, and fight for better wages and working conditions. They also pointed to systematic union-busting practices— including red-tagging, illegal dismissals, suspensions, intimidation, and other forms of repression— that continue to undermine workers' constitutional right to organize.

The program concluded with reactions from BIEN, PISTON, Mehitabel Furniture Employees’ Union, and Liga sa mga Mamumuo ni San Jose, along with manifestations from Migrante International and the Alliance of Concerned Teachers.

Their experiences reinforced the findings ofVIHDA's 2025 Labor Summary, illustrating the concrete struggles faced by their respective sectors—from attacks on workers' rights, jobinsecurity stemming from dependence on foreign companies, rising fuel prices caused bythe absence of a nationalized and industrialized oil industry, and the migration of professionals driven by persistently low wages, to the broader impact of policies that continue to shift the burden of the economic crisis ontoworking people.

29/07/2026

SNIPPET of BIEN-Cebu President Kyle Enero’s reaction during the 2026 State of the Labor Address.