MANILA, Philippines - Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippine (TUCP) on Thursday urged senators, congressmen and their spouses to wear simple attire during President Aquino's last State of the Nation Address (SONA) next Monday.
"First of all, the SONA is not a fashion show. Second, working people feel it is illogical and unethical for our lawmakers to parade in the halls of congress wearing costly, extravagant clothes during the SONA when millions of their constituent Filipinos are languishing in hunger and poverty," TUCP-Associated Labor Unions (ALU) executive vice president Gerard Seno said.
He said senators and members of the House of the Representatives should lead simple and modest lives as representatives of the people’s plight and aspiration.
Meanwhile, TUCP-Nagkaisa spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said there should be a committee at Congress that sets an internal rules to remind lawmakers to modestly dress and put a cap on the cost of clothes they buy to wear during SONA and during sessions.
"The focus of the SONA is the state of well-being of tax-paying Filipino people not the expensive clothes our solons are wearing. The essence of the gathering is not to showcase their brand new and top of the line SUVs. The center of the SONA is the people, the ordinary working people who will listen to the report of the president and validate his direction for the incoming year," Tanjusay said.
He added that the budget of P700 per head for snacks and dinner at the event is too expensive.
The budget should not exceed P481— the highest current amount of daily minimum wage in Metro Manila, Tanjusay said.