I
went to Mr. Antonio's wake yesterday afternoon at Filipinas Funeral in Las
Pinas. Mr. Enero as we call him in the office as "January". He was
under my supervision at Baggage Sorting Area for almost 2 years. He is a father
of 2. His youngest daughter is about 5 years old. He is a quiet
person, hardworking and one person i can rely on during flight disruptions. According
to his wife, January was confined at Cardinal Santos Hospital days before September 27 due to Leukemia. On that day when Pal management dispersed our
fellow Paleans who were present at that time at the airport. January
heard about it and saw it on the news the next day and he told his wife "Irene, kung wala lang akong sakit nandyan din ako sa picket line, kasama mga
kapwa ko PALEANS".
Morning of Sept. 30, his doctors and nurses at Cardinal Santos told him and Irene that someone called from PAL HR office advising that "January is already terminated from work so as his medical benefits, and if they want to continue his medications and confinement, they have to pay on their own and the company will not shoulder the expenses anymore". January badly needed 14 anti-biotic shots for 7 days. 1 shot of antibiotic is worth 5,000php. They only had given him 2 shots. Irene was crying because they dont have money to pay for the confinement and medications from Sept. 30 onwards, so they were forced to leave the hospital on Sept.30, 12noon cut-off time.
Morning of Sept. 30, his doctors and nurses at Cardinal Santos told him and Irene that someone called from PAL HR office advising that "January is already terminated from work so as his medical benefits, and if they want to continue his medications and confinement, they have to pay on their own and the company will not shoulder the expenses anymore". January badly needed 14 anti-biotic shots for 7 days. 1 shot of antibiotic is worth 5,000php. They only had given him 2 shots. Irene was crying because they dont have money to pay for the confinement and medications from Sept. 30 onwards, so they were forced to leave the hospital on Sept.30, 12noon cut-off time.
January became weaker and weaker because his medications were stopped. After 4 days
upon release at Cardinal Santos Hospital, he was confined at Perpetual Help Las
Pinas. They had to do all the tests again as well as the antibiotic. Irene was
so worried about the expenses and told her husband to get the separation pay so
they can pay the hospital bills and medications. January said "Hindi,
LABAN PA RIN TAYO, mangungutang na lang tayo"!. As January was lying on
his hospital bed, he heard over the news that FASAP won the case. He clapped
and said "IRENE, TINGNAN MO NANALO ANG FASAP! IBIG SABIHIN MANANALO DIN
ANG PALEA"! Irene told me "Mam, nung napanood nya yung news na yun
nabuhayan sya ng loob at nakita ko yung saya sa mukha nya"! kaya mam sabi
ko sa asawa ko "o sige pagaling ka para makapunta ka sa picket
line". Palagi nya nga pong hinihintay ang news about PALEA case gusto nya
makita yung mga kasamahan nya sa baggage.
The wife notices everyday he is
getting weaker and January was worried where they will get the money to pay for
the hospital bills at the same time worried about pal-palea labor dispute. But
due to huge amount of hospital bills they both decided to avail of the
separation pay. The next day, January complained about this pain on his upper
nose and seems like a blood clot. So he was immediately brought to ICU and was
given 72hours to live. Irene got the separation pay on Oct 15th, January died
Oct 16. Irene was shaking yesterday when she told me " Ma'm, alam mo kung
hindi kami pinaalis sa Cardinal Santos at nagtuloy tuloy ang antibiotic
nya, sana nakasama pa namin sya ng mas matagal"... RIP MR. ANTONIO ENERO! YOU
WILL BE MISSED BY PALEANS!
