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The Campaign to Stop Killer Coke has been contacted by two groups in The Philippines. First, we were contacted by a group of Coke workers who have documented Coke's labor abuses and corruption in the workplace. Their website, which is discussed below is https://bit.ly/2L2xPBw. The other group, Batang Negros, is involved in a province-wide boycott of Coca-Cola because of the company's smuggling and tax evasion schemes which is destroying the local economy, local jobs and local planters. We put the groups in touch with each other and Batang Negros responded:
"I already talked with the head of the group and he is very optimistic to the alliance between your group and our group here...we are just about to launch our internet campaign but we have also prepared for ground mobilization."
(Others in The Philippines who know of, or who are victims of, labor, human rights, environmental or other abuses perpetrated by Coca-Cola, should send us their information at info@KillerCoke.org.)
On May 29, 2011, Batang Negros explained to us that they were planning a province-wide boycott of Coke products. They said that Coke is involved in technical smuggling and will kill the local sugar industry.
"As you may know, our province is very well-known as the sugar bowl of the Philippines and is very dependent on sugar industry...and recently, government agencies have found out that Coca-Cola has been deceiving them by importing millions of kilos of sugar... intentionally labeled as pre-mix sugar by coca-cola to escape from sugar tariff. This has been the cause why the sugar economy has been going down and definitely this will kill not only the planters and sugar workers, but the whole province as well...
"Our main goal is to make Negros Occidental a Coke-free province, which is tantamount to a people's embargo...to pressure them to stop deceiving the people and adopt ethical trade practices, including dealing with their employees fairly...
"I hope we can work together to stop this monster in further destroying our future...thank you!"
Coke-FREE Organizations (Negros Occidental)
by Batang Negros
Visit their Facebook Page
Many establishments and businesses have joined the campaign to boycott Coke and other Coca-Cola products. It is now time to give recognition to the different groups that braved to defy the odds and decided to join this struggle against the multi-billion dollar SMUGGLER and TAX EVADER.
These groups and several other groups out there are boycotting Coke and other Coca-Cola products as a manifestation of solidarity and full support to the call of Negros and Negrense people to save our province and our future.
Ang iban ta da nga mga utod ya? San-o pa kita magpangisog?
An article published in The Visayan Daily Star on June 8, 2011, focuses on how Coca-Cola Bottlers, Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI), has been involved in a tax evasion and smuggling scandal that is doing serious damage to the Negros Occidental economy and causing the lost of countless jobs for local workers. This article describes legal actions being taken against Coca-Cola's bottlers and the kickoff ceremony for a boycott campaign to make this province of 2.4 million people Coke-Free.
Confed files charges vs. Coca Cola, others
By Rolly Espina, The Vlsayan Daily Star (The Philippines), June 8, 2011
Read Article
"Finally, the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations, Inc. has filed a charge of technical smuggling against Coca Cola Bottlers, Philippines Inc. and other beverage companies for importing pre-mixed sugar to avoid paying the appropriate tariff and taxes despite the fact that the premixed sugar was found by the Sugar Regulatory Administration laboratory as consisting of between 99.5 percent to 99.7 percent refined sugar...
"The mis-declaration of the imported commodities resulted in the loss to the Philippine government of much needed revenues through non-payment of tariff import duties and value added tax...
"...the Sugar Alliance group has batted for a boycott of Coca Cola producers and for government to mount a no-nonsense campaign against the smuggling of sugar...
"Whether we like it or not, all will be affected by the Coca Cola Bottlers' sugar importation. Simple, because our economy is mono-crop, the production of sugar being the single economic activity that characterizes Negros Occidental."
As described in the opening paragraph above, the following is a synopsis of the workers' website: [https://bit.ly/2L2xPBw]:
"This site is dedicated to the loyal and trustworthy employees of Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc., active or inactive...Many people are not aware that Coca-Cola is a company that loves to abuse their employees' rights, and tolerates corruption just to achieve their goals...
"All things about the Company will be discussed, things that are related to labor in particular, the companies' vision and its violations of labor laws, and how to deal with it. This site is not a hate campaign against Coke, because the people who are behind in the development of this site are workers in the Company.
"...This site will share the story here in the Philippines, because over the recent years Philippine media was silent about the global labor abuses of Coke...
"This site would like to achieve balanced awareness among people; and is also geared towards expressing the views of the rank and file who currently works for Coke; employees who want to air their views and criticism towards the company, employees who have no one to share with, because they fear losing their jobs when they blow the whistle.
"This site will also expose corruption within the company and how some managers tolerate them to protect their interest. Things will be detailed so that people will know and understand...
"We are comprised of employees from Coca-Cola Bacolod in the Philippines, and we intend to expose the abuses of Coca Cola and some of its managers. We are also geared towards exposing the corruption or malpractice of the management that affects common employees.
"People behind this website are dedicated and passionate workers loyal to Coke. However, it is clear that for the past few years since the assumption of Atlanta in managing CCBPI (Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc.), the loyalty of Coke is not geared towards recognizing the worth of their employees. In fact they even tolerate corruption to achieve their goals, and that is to eliminate Unions organized to protect ordinary or common employees...
'...There will be blogs that will be posted on this site discussing the strategy of Coke to eliminate Union organizations.
The encouraging of precarious labor or outsourcing of labor services from human resource agencies will also be discussed further...
"Coca-Cola in the Philippines is one of the major contributors of labor abuses in the world. This is manifested by their current practice. And what they usually do is outsource different agencies to provide for the services they require.
"Say for instance in the Manufacturing Department, take note that people working in the Bottling plants of Coca-Cola are actually personnel from various Labor outsourcing agencies. In Bacolod City they usually outsource their administrative personnel from ROMAC agency, in the Manufacturing and Sales departments they usually outsource from JPA.
"Coke outsources their work force from various labor agencies so they could avoid paying benefits that are appropriate for regular employees. They are also avoiding the establishment of Employees' Union Organizations...
"Coca Cola is geared towards precarious labor and has been practicing it for a long time. If only they could replace all their employees from outsourced labor agencies THEY WILL! This site, however, will expose that, and simplify things so that people will understand that coke is gradually killing its labor force.
"People have a high regard when it comes to employees of Coca-Cola, it is indeed prestigious to think of a multinational company and the image that Coke has projected over the years. However, Coca-Cola is not a clean company as everybody thought it was.
"The truth is that it practices corporate politics and even tolerates corruption just to achieve its goals..."
Read about "Coca-Cola's Crimes in The Philippines at https://bit.ly/2L2xPBw
"Sugar groups firm on boycott vs Coca-Cola: by Carla P. Gomez, Inquirer Visayas, July 12, 2011
Read Article
"On Monday, the Confed board decided that it would remain vigilant and would validate the company's promise before taking any action until Coca-Cola makes good its promise to buy local sugar and stop the importation of premix sugar and HFCS...
"Braza said the SW would not lift its boycott as long as the company's packaging reflects the use of HFCS and until CCBPI would pay tariff amounting to P1.7 billion on premix sugar it had brought to the country earlier."