Statement from the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines on the passing of Democrito Mendoza
It is with profound sadness that the members, officers and staffs of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and the Associated Labor Unions (ALU) announce the passing of its founder and their longtime president Atty. Democrito “Kito” Tolo Mendoza.
He passed away 6:40 p.m. yesterday, Tuesday, January 12th at the Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City at the age of 92.
At the time of his death, Kito was Chairman of the ALU and co-founder, former long-time President of the TUCP. He was also Vice Chair Emeritus of the Philippine Veteran’s Bank and Regional Vice President of the Veteran’s Federation of the Philippines (VFP).
He is survived by his second wife Dr. Marianita, former Commissioner to the Social Security System (SSS); fourteen children & grandchildren, including his youngest sons acting TUCP President and incumbent TUCP Party-list Rep. Raymond Mendoza and Michael Mendoza, National President of the ALU.
In a House of Representatives Resolution 1051, Kito was given congressional recognition by the House of Representatives on June 2015 for his lifelong and invaluable contribution in shaping and advancing the Philippine labor movement and for tirelessly working to defend and uphold the interest of the Filipino working class.
Born on July 31, 1923 in Liloan, Cebu, Kito is one of the founding pillars of the modern labor movement in the country, devoting seventy (70) years of his life in pursuit of his dream of ensuring the Filipino workers and their families live decent lives.
Guided by his vision of building and establishing a national trade union movement to place workers on an equal footing with employers and government, Mendoza first organized the port workers in Cebu, which in return would become the largest labor federation – the Associated Labor Unions (ALU). He struggled against vested interest groups and cartels.
Kito became a respected voice in the field of labor relations and social security serving as Commissioner of the Social Security System (SSS), and a promoter of technical and vocational training and labor education.
His unwavering advocacy to the national and international labor movement has been demonstrated through his unflinching promotion of the core labor standards: the right to organize, the right of workers to bargain collectively and the right to strike; and the prohibition of the worse forms of child labor.
Mendoza rose to the call of the time as President of TUCP in 1978 by pushing for the reduction of decent work deficits as a key to improving work and life not only in the trade union movement in the Philippines, but also in the international arena.
Mendoza is not only known for his exemplary acts in the labor sector, but also for his inspiring courage when he went to war at a young age as a guerrilla fighter and became a be-medalled Filipino war veteran.
He has consistently promoted the interests and welfare of the workers in all forums and conferences, not only at the national, but also at regional and international levels: He advanced the freedom of association of workers and social justice in South East Asia that led to the founding of the ASEAN Trade Union Council (ATUC) in 1983 wherein many Filipino labor leaders and advocates were at the forefront and called the attention of the highly industrialized countries and the oil rich nations to apply a rational approach to the escalating oil prices in the spirit of universal brotherhood during the 63rd Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in 1977.
During the 80th Session of the ILC in 1993, when the liberalization of tariffs, ridiculous exchange rates and massive privatization were wreaking havoc in the Philippines resulting either to massive contractualization or displacement of disadvantaged workers, Mendoza called on the restructuring of the Philippine economy to spur its competitiveness in the Asia-Pacific region. He also battled for technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO) to encourage workers’ enterprises and develop skills for promoting sustainable development.
Throughout the years, Mendoza has not ceased in working towards the upliftment of the lives of people especially of workers and of war veterans as evidenced by the leadership positions and responsibilities he holds in major organizations to date such as the ASEAN Trade Union Congress (ATUC), the Associated Labor Unions-TUCP (ALU-TUCP) – the biggest labor federation in the Philippines – and the Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP). Further, he also held high positions in the past in both labor unions as well as government bodies such as the Visayas-Mindanao Confederation of Trade Unions, Philippine Seafarers Union-ALU-TUCP-ITF, Associated Workers Foundation, Inc., National Union of Portworkers in the Philippines, Oriental Port Allied Services, Corporation (OPASCOR), the Social Security Commission (SSC) through 1968 to 1986; in the Asian Advisory Council as well as in the International Center for Advanced Technical and Vocational Training of the International Labor Organization (ILO); he was Vice President of the 94th Session of the ILC in Geneva in 1994; and he also served as the Member of the 2005 Consultative Commission during the Arroyo Administration.
With his historic and significant contributions to development of the labor movement in the Philippines, Mendoza was voted “Labor Leader of the Year” by the Cebu News Correspondence Club in 1961; by the Cebu Press Club in 1964; and by the School of Labor and Industrial Relations of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City (UP SOLAIR) with the Iglesia Filipina Independiente in 1998 in celebration of the centennial year of the labor movement in the Philippines;
Equally notable are the three (3) Presidential Awards given to Mendoza: “Labor Leader of the Year” by President Fidel V. Ramos on 01 May 1998 in celebration of the centennial year of the labor movement; the “Order of the Golden Heart”, the highest Presidential award, given by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on 01 May 2002 and the Presidential Merit Award in 2005.
As a courageous and an enduring defender of democracy and a war hero, he was conferred the “Gold Cross” for his conspicuous gallantry in action against enemy forces in Cebu during the Philippine liberation campaign from 26 March to 19 April 1945 by the United States Army’s America Division; and several other medals and decorations during the World War II as an officer of the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) and as a guerilla fighter against the Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1946.
His unwavering work, advocacy, inspiration and his love for the workingmen has challenged not only the Philippine government but also governments around the world to build societies capable of respecting the rights of the majority of the people who are the workingmen. ###
13 JANUARY 2016
ALAN TANJUSAY 09158519558
TUCP SPOKESPERSON
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