MANILA, Philippines – “Ang manggagawang Pilipino ay kinikilala ngayon sa buong mundo dahil sa kanyang angking sipag, talino, at prupesyunalismo. Ang mga katangiang ito rin ang naging kontribusyon natin upang iangat ang bansa sa kasalukuyan nitong estado: isang lipunang mas malaya, mas makatarungan, at mas maraming oportunidad para sa kaunlaran ng kanyang mga mamamayan.” declared President Benigno Aquino III in his Labor Day address.

But majority of Filipino workers in the country earn only a third of the mandated minimum wages here. Worse, many lack job security and are forced to make do with jobs that don’t last 6 months. (READ: On the job: The Filipino precariat)

Among the millions of contractuals in the Philippines are salesladies. (Check out these photos below)

They may still be considered lucky because they are employed, but theirs is a tough struggle from recruitment to actual work day.

A saleslady must endure standing and smiling all day, sometimes for more than 8 hours. She must get a pass from her supervisor to take a bathroom break. She works on holidays. In most malls, she is restricted from using the escalator.  

The life of a saleslady has inspired Pia Montalban to write a poem titled Saleslady. We are reprinting it below:

Saleslady

Poem by Pia Montalban/KM 64 Poetry 

Kailangang tiyaking
Walang guguhit na tastas
Sa binting binalot
Ng stocking,
Binting nagmamadaling kumaripas
Araw-araw sa ritwal
Ng pagpasok.

I had to ensure
No crease can run
Down my legs in stockings
While I dash to work early
Mornings of my ritual daily.

Kailangang marahang suklayin
Tiyaking bawat hibla
Ng buhok
May kintab na aakit
Ng balde-baldeng benta
Bawat alok.

I had to gently brush my hair
And make sure each strand would bare
A shine that would magnet luck
In pails and sacks of bucks.

Kailangang perpektong mapintahan
Talukap ng mata, pisngi, kilay, labi
Kahit ang ngiting pupustura
Sa mukhang tatabo
Ng daang libong tubo.

I had to meticulously paint
My eyelids, cheeks, brows and lips
Even the smile that would don
The face that would sell
A thousand profits.

Araw-araw
Ano ang aking napapala?

Day-in and day-out
And what do I get:

Matabang sobre ng sahod
Ng takot at pangamba 
Sa pagitan ng
Mailap na regularisasyon
At palagiang banta
Ng kontraktuwalisasyon.

A fat-paycheck
Of paltry change
Bills and coins
Of fears and dread
In between the elusive regularization
Of the ever-threatening contractualization.

Habang ang kalakal na pinaguusapan
Ay ang aking lakas paggawa.

While the stock in question
Is my beauty and sweet sweat.

Kahit habang matatapos na
Itong mga bersong 
Nagproprotesta,
Nagpapatuloy pa din
Ang pagsasamantala.

Yet no matter how these verses
Feigns to stage a protest
The enslaving ritual continues

Tastas ng stocking maaaring maayos pa
Ngunit pamimintig ng mga binti ko’y hindi na
Halaga na sana ng isang araw na kainan
Pintura ng mukhang kailangang pumustura
Ngunit ang isinusukli nilang barya-barya
Abuloy lamang sa serbisyong aking alay

I wake up to work—
Dress up, make up, brush up,
Laughing at the effort, praying
There’s no crease in my stockings
But no prayer can allow my legs to dispel a cramp
No prayer to rollback the cost to paint my face
Equal to a meal that could have saved me for days

And what do I get—
Mere alms
To the service
I render.

Ako ay Saleslady
Tindera, Manggagawa.

I
Am
A Saleslady,

I
Am
A Worker,

Ako ay Tao,
At ito ang aking Kwento:
Lakas paggawang 
Nakalako sa baratilyo.

And
This
Is my life.

Ngunit malapit na
Malapit nang halaga ko’y
Magbabago.

Yet soon,
Really soon,
My price tag
will have to change.

– Rappler.com