BIEN - BGC

21/03/2026

Crisis Fuels Our Rage: Living Wage Now

Sign the Petition Now: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/petition-of-bpo-tech-and-service-workers-for-wage-increase-expanded-work-from-home-and-economic-relief/

As global conflict drives oil prices up, workers in the Philippines are once again left to suffer the consequences. Higher fuel prices mean higher costs for food, transport, and basic services—while wages remain the same.

This is a crisis we did not create. But we are the ones paying for it.

BPO workers, tech workers, and all service workers demand urgent action:

Wage increase towards a living wage
Expand work-from-home arrangements
Provide adequate internet, electricity, or transportation allowances
Scrap VAT on basic goods and services and excise tax on oil
Repeal the oil deregulation law

Workers deserve more than survival. We deserve dignity.

Stand with us. Fight for a living wage.

03/03/2026

Oil Price Surge Deepens Crisis for Filipino Workers; BIEN Demands Immediate Relief

The BPO Industry Employees Network warned that the latest spike in global oil prices will further burden Filipino workers already struggling with low wages and rising living costs.

Based on the first day of trading this Monday at the Mean of Platts Singapore, gasoline rose by ₱4.47 per liter, diesel by ₱9.33 per liter, and kerosene by ₱10.07 per liter. While these figures are not yet final, they signal another wave of price hikes that will be felt in transport fares, food prices, electricity rates, and other basic goods.

Every fuel increase triggers a chain reaction across the economy. For BPO and tech-enabled services workers who commute daily, work night shifts, and support their families on tight budgets, even a few pesos added per liter can mean cutting back on food, delaying payments, or sacrificing basic needs.

“We did not choose this war, yet Filipino workers are forced to pay for its consequences,” said BIEN Vice President Jupiter Delda. “As tensions escalate in the Middle East due to the US–Israel war of aggression against the people of Iran, oil prices surge, and it is working people in countries like the Philippines who absorb the shock.”

BIEN stressed that militarized conflicts and geopolitical aggression destabilize global oil markets and encourage speculation. As a country heavily dependent on imported fuel, the Philippines remains highly vulnerable to price shocks triggered by wars and power struggles abroad.

The group called on the government to take immediate action. BIEN demands the removal of excise taxes on oil to provide urgent relief. It also reiterated its call to junk the Oil Deregulation Law, which allows oil companies to pass on global price increases to the public with minimal state intervention.

“The government cannot remain passive while workers shoulder the impact of global conflicts,” Delda said. “If prices can rise overnight because of war, then the government can act just as quickly to protect its people.”

BIEN urged workers to remain vigilant and united in demanding immediate relief and long-term structural reforms. The fight against rising oil prices is a fight for livelihood, dignity, and economic justice.

# # #

Join BIEN!
👉 tinyurl.com/JoinBIEN2026
👉 tinyurl.com/JoinBIEN2026
👉 tinyurl.com/JoinBIEN2026

27/02/2026

Join our Gender Sensitivity Training March 1, 2026 | 1:00 PM.

Register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/k6TGl3gwSrOQtHX8UtAL-A

Harassment. Sexist remarks. Unequal opportunities. Silence when we speak up. These are not “normal.” These are workplace issues we have the right to challenge.

Join our Gender Sensitivity Training on March 1, 2026 | 1:00 PM.
Let’s confront discrimination head-on, strengthen solidarity, and build workplaces where women and LGBTQ+ workers are respected, protected, and heard.

Equality is not a favor. It is a right.
And rights are fought for, protected, and asserted together.

Register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/k6TGl3gwSrOQtHX8UtAL-A

Stand up. Speak out. See you there. 💜

24/02/2026

ANONG PERMIT-PERMIT? WALANG GANON SABI NI MAMA MARY! BAHAIN NATIN ANG EDSA SA IKA-40 NA ANIBERSARYO NG PEOPLE POWER! 😤

24/02/2026

EDSA@40
February 25, 2026
11:00AM Assembly at Rochester Corner Edsa (JB Music EDSA)
1:00PM Program at EDSA Corner Ortigas Facing the EDSA Shrine

Planning to join the EDSA@40 Rally?
Sign up now: https://forms.gle/Zvouck4RrJueRxfZ8

22/02/2026

On the 40th Anniversary of EDSA People Power, we remember how millions of Filipinos gathered along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue to end the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.. EDSA was a collective stand against plunder, abuse of power, and a government that treated public funds as private wealth.

Forty years later, corruption remains a central issue confronting our nation.

For BPO workers, corruption is not an abstract debate among politicians. Every cut from our payslip in income tax is a contribution to the national budget. Every time we buy basic goods and services, we pay value added tax. From our salaries, from our overtime pay, from the small comforts we try to afford after long night shifts, we contribute billions to government revenues each year. These are hard earned wages from sleepless nights, high pressure metrics, and relentless workloads.

We have the right to demand that these taxes are used for public services, disaster response, healthcare, education, and social protection. Instead, we are confronted again and again with massive corruption scandals, questionable spending, and a culture of impunity. When public funds are stolen or misused, it is workers who pay twice. We pay through our taxes, and we pay again through poor services, high prices, and lack of meaningful support when crises hit.

Lahat ng sangkot dapat managot. Accountability is not political noise. It is a democratic duty. Without accountability, corruption thrives. Without accountability, the burden continues to fall on working people who have the least power but carry the heaviest load.

BIEN calls on BPO workers to bring our voice to the streets and join the People Power anniversary mobilization at EDSA Ortigas. Let us assert that those who contribute honestly to this nation through our labor and taxes deserve a government that is transparent, accountable, and truly serves the people.

This February 25 at EDSA Ortigas, let us stand together and declare that our taxes are not for corruption. Our labor is not for exploitation. The spirit of People Power lives on when workers demand accountability and refuse to be silent.

# # #

Planning to join the EDSA@40 Rally?
Sign up now: https://forms.gle/Zvouck4RrJueRxfZ8

21/02/2026

BIEN BGC proudly celebrates the opening of “Art from the Heart” by our very own Miguel Asuncion at Kusina sa Balangay.

From February 21 to 27, let’s support a fellow worker-artist whose creativity reflects the passion, struggle, and everyday stories of working people. This exhibit is not just about art. It is about heart, community, and the power of expression.

Join us in standing with our own. See you at Kusina sa Balangay.

21/02/2026

18/02/2026

BIEN BGC Chapter invites everyone to an Art Exhibit by our very own Miguel Asuncion.

Celebrate workers’ creativity and solidarity through art. Let us support fellow workers who express our shared struggles and aspirations beyond the workplace.

📍 February 21–22, 7PM–12AM
📍 Kusina sa Balangay, 41-A Mapagkawanggawa, Diliman, QC
📍 No entrance fee

See you there. Bring your friends and co-workers. Support workers’ art. Support workers’ voices.

13/02/2026

BIEN: Go After Marcos First Before Lecturing Digital Workers on Taxes

The BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN) said the Bureau of Internal Revenue should begin with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before singling out Filipino virtual assistants and freelancers over tax compliance.

“The BIR should start with President Marcos,” said Christine Agan, BIEN Homebased Platform Workers Committee. “You cannot lecture workers on taxes while serious issues of corruption and accountability at the highest level remain unanswered.”

The BIR’s call urging VAs to “pay their income taxes” comes amid mounting corruption exposés involving the Marcos administration, including controversies linked to flood control projects, questions over public funds, and newly filed impeachment complaints in early 2026. These developments have renewed scrutiny over whether accountability is being applied evenly.

Agan pointed to the Marcos family’s ₱203 billion unpaid estate tax, affirmed by final court rulings, as a defining issue in the tax debate.

“The ₱203 billion estate tax liability of the Marcos family, affirmed by final court rulings, remains unpaid,” Agan said. “As long as that stands, every tax reminder issued to workers raises questions about credibility and fairness.”

“For workers already dealing with rising prices, insecure work, and limited protection, enforcement without accountability only deepens public distrust,” Agan added. “Tax enforcement must begin with those in power, or it will never be taken seriously by the public.”

# # #

Organize for accountability, fair enforcement, and workers’ rights. Join BIEN!
👉 tinyurl.com/JoinBIEN2026
👉 tinyurl.com/JoinBIEN2026
👉 tinyurl.com/JoinBIEN2026

11/02/2026

TP EMPLOYEES, UNIONIZE NOW.

TPEU Membership Form: https://tinyurl.com/TPEUMemForm