Is It Worth Enduring? Labor in Philippine Mango Fruit Farming

Abstract

This article examines the process of labor exploitation in mango fruit farming in the Philippines. It provides a case study based on primary data collected through key informant interviews as well as secondary data. The article argues that contemporary mango fruit farming remains within the conventional labor dynamics inherited from historical capitalist domination and exploitation. The drive for transformative development has favored orchard owners and financiers leaving aside laborers’ well-being, welfare, and safety nets. Moreover, the ideological normalization of laborers’ dire conditions has led to acceptance of whatever conditions are allowed by powerful actors. The plight of laborers in the mango fruit industry remains a relevant and continuing struggle that requires relentless advocacy.