After several public hearings in the Senate, we have yet to see credible studies to back up the fantastic claims of the Arroyo administration that the JPEPA will result in economic prosperity for the Filipino people. Rather than economic growth, the agreement is poised to further damage the already crisis-ridden Philippine economy.
We believe that the agreement is grossly lopsided in favor of Japan. The provisions of JPEPA will further reinforce the historically unequal economic relations between the two countries. For example, while removing tariffs for all but two Philippine products (salt and rice), Japan will continue to protect 239 of its own products.
Japan will also gain unhampered access to our nation’s wealth, including our human resources, at the expense of the Filipino people.
- Job losses are foreseen in the manufacturing and automobile sectors
- Farmers and agricultural workers stand to suffer even more from contract-growing arrangements with transnational agri-business corporations. Land use conversion will also affect domestic food production.
- Domestic fisheries sector will have no protection from the entry of Japanese fishing vessels which will be allowed to fish in our waters.
- The claim that the Philippines will benefit from the agreement via the entry of more Filipino nurses and caregivers to Japan is misleading since the professional standards imposed by Japan are very difficult to achieve. The export of nurses and caregivers also betrays a lack of initiative on the part of the Philippine government to provide domestic employment for its own people.
The JPEPA accords Japan a Most Favored Nation status and gives National Treatment to Japanese investors. Such provisions set a dangerous precedent for bilateral trade agreements with other countries. Surely, other countries would seek the same treatment as Japan, thereby further exposing the Philippine economy to plunder by other foreign powers.
The JPEPA is tantamount to a second “Japanese Invasion” of the Philippines, this time in the sphere of economics. For our own survival, we say “No deal!” with the Japanese government.
Uphold national interest! REJECT JPEPA!
National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera
Prof. Connie Paz, UP Diliman
Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran
Sr. Ellen Belardo
Kilusang Mayo Uno
Migrante International
Health Alliance for Democracy
Pamalakaya
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan
Agham
College Editors Guild of the Philippines
Anakbayan
Educators Forum for Development
UP Visayas Tacloban College
UP Film Institute
Asian Center, UP Diliman
Ibon Foundation
Amado V. Hernandez Resource Center
Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER)
Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment
Ecological Society of the Philippines
Mother Earth Foundation
Center for Environmental Concerns
Greenpeace Southeast Asia
Eco-waste Coalition
Madiaas Ecological Movement-Panay
Non-Timber Forest Products-Task Force
Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD)
SolarGeneration Pilipinas
Philippine Peace Center
Sibat
Peoples’ Network against Liberalization of Agriculture (PUMALAG)
Church-Peasant Solidarity Council (CPSC)
Peoples’ Alliance for Genuine Agrarian Reform (PATRIA)
Resistance and Solidarity against Agrochemical TNCs (RESIST)
National Network of Agrarian Reform Advocates (NNARA)- Youth
Sentro para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (SENTRA)
Coalition of Autoworkers and Related Industry Against Imperialist Domination
Center for Women’s Resources
Migrante Secroral Party – Tokyo
Filipino Migrants Center, Japan
Center for Japanese Filipino Families
Philippine Society in Japan
The Filipino Women’s Organization in Quebec
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)
Migrante-Europe
Rakunan Union
National Union of General Workers (NUGW)
Citizens Against Chemicals Pollution (CACP), in Japan
“Disabled” People’s Liberation Center-Yamaguchi (Yamaguchi Shogaisha Kaihou center)
Catholic Council for Justice and Peace of Japan
Postal Worker’s Union
Sons and Daughters of Atomic Bomb Survivors (Hibaku Nisei no Kai)
Labor activist Council (Roudousya katudousya hyougikai)
Workers convergence (Roudousha Kyotou)
AWC-Japan
Osaka branch Japan Dock Workers Union
ALUI
Rentai Union
ASJA (Anti-Invasion Asian Student Joint Action)
Network of Kita-Kyushu people to oppose distortion of school textbook
NUGW Caregivers’ Union (NUGW Kaigoroudousyakumiai)
AKAY Youth Japan
Union Kitakyushu
Miyoshi city employees’ Union (Miyoshi shi syokuin roudoukumiai rengoukai)
Workers’ Plaintiffs to sue Tekken Kodan (Tekkennkoudan sosho genkokudan)
SYN (Student-Youth Network Confront New liberalism and Chauvinism)
Union Kitakyushu
National Raliway Workers’ Union, NRU
Okinawa Government Employees Mutual Benefit Association Labor Union
Yamaguchi Prefectural University
Peace and Life Association
American Coalition for Environmental Solidarity
Bangladesh Krishok Federation
Committee for Asian Women, Thailand
Solidarite, France
Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour
Australian Fair trade and Investment Network
Farmers Assistance for Development, Mongolia
Roots for Equity, Pakistan
All Nepal Peasants Federation (ANPFA)
Bangladesh Agricultural Labour Union
Krisoker Saar (Farmers’ Voice), Bangladesh
Consumers Association of Penang and Friends of the Earth Malaysia
TAIWAN, Labor Rights Association
