A CMSP–JPICC and Mission Partners Solidarity Statement Labor Day 2026

A CMSP–JPICC and Mission Partners Solidarity Statement

Labor Day 2026

May 1, 2026

On this day when the nation commemorates the dignity and sacrifices of Filipino workers, we, the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines (CMSP) through its Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission (JPICC), together with our Mission Partners, stand in prayerful solidarity with all workers across the country; especially the poor, the vulnerable, and those whose labor remains unseen, undervalued, and unjustly compensated.

A Cry from the Ground

We cannot celebrate Labor Day without listening to the cries that rise from our streets, our factories, our farms, and even our homes. The current realities confronting Filipino workers are stark and urgent:

• Persistently low wages amid rising costs of living;

• Widespread contractualization and job insecurity;

• Unsafe working conditions and lack of social protection;

• The continued migration of Filipino workers forced by economic necessity, often exposing them to exploitation and separation from their families;

• The marginalization of informal workers, farmers, fisherfolk, and indigenous laborers whose contributions sustain the nation yet remain neglected.

These are not merely economic issues; they are moral concerns. They strike at the very heart of human dignity.

Work as Vocation; Not Exploitation

The Church teaches that work is a participation in God’s creative action. In the spirit of Rerum Novarum and Laudato Si’, we affirm that labor is not a commodity but a vocation; a path to holiness and a means of building the common good.

Yet when labor becomes a tool for profit at the expense of persons, when systems prioritize gain over dignity, we are confronted with structures of sin that demand conversion.

As consecrated persons we are called to stand with the least, to walk with the poor, and to proclaim by our lives that fraternity is possible; even in a fractured world.

We echo the Gospel call;

“The laborer deserves his wages” (cf. Luke 10:7).

Our Call to Action

In the face of these realities, we call on:

Government leaders

to enact and implement policies that ensure just wages, protect workers’ rights, end exploitative labor practices, and prioritize sustainable and inclusive economic development;

Business sectors and employers

to uphold ethical labor standards, promote humane working conditions, and recognize workers not as instruments of profit but as partners in building society;

Church institutions and religious communities

to be credible witnesses by ensuring just labor practices within our own ministries and by accompanying workers in their struggles;

Civil society and mission partners

to continue advocating for systemic change, amplifying the voices of the marginalized, and building networks of solidarity;

Workers themselves to remain steadfast in hope, united in their pursuit of justice, and empowered in their dignity as co-creators with God.

Today, we do not only remember workers;

we commit ourselves to walk with them.

May this Labor Day be not only a commemoration; but a conversion;

from indifference to solidarity;

from exploitation to dignity;

from despair to hope.

Let us build a nation where every worker is valued; every labor respected; and every family upheld in dignity.

May the Lord give you peace.

CMSP–JPICC and Mission Partners

Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines

Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission