Farewell Ka Johnny!

The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) mourns the death of its Founder and President Emeritus Juan Canizares Tan on September 10, 2005 after a lingering illness. He was 82 years old.

Ka Johnny, as he is commonly known to his fellow trade unionists, founded the FFW in 1950, together with his mentor, Fr. Walter Hogan, S.J.. He led the FFW as its President until 1998, when he turned over the reigns to then FFW National Vice President, Ramon J. Jabar. In the 1998 National Convention of the FFW, he was unanimously acclaimed as FFW’s President Emeritus.

He is also the Founder, Secretary General and then President of the Brotherhood of Asian Trade Unionists (BATU) from 1963 to July 2005, Vice President for Asia of the World Confederation of Labour (WCL) and its President from 1981 to 1989.

“The death of our founder and mentor is a great loss to the FFW, to the Philippine Labor Movement and to the international trade union movement for whose cause he devoted all his adult life and whole career”, Ramon Jabar speaking in behalf of the FFW and its Governing Board said. “But we are determined to perpetuate his memory and his teachings, by strengthening the FFW and by continuing to advance FFW’s role in the labor movement to organize workers into trade unions, as well as to create opportunities for decent work for all workers”, he added.

A recipient of the Ozanam and Lux in Domino Awards of the Ateneo de Manila University, the Jesuit-educated and law graduate of the Philippine Law School Juan C. Tan was an annual worker-member of the Philippine delegation to the International Labour Conference from 1956 till 1998, as well as worker-delegate to various High Level meetings of the ILO and its Regional Conferences.

In March 2005, he was awarded the recognition together with other labor leaders as a “Working Class Hero” in a ceremony presided over by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, on the occasion of the 100th year of the Philippine Labor Movement.

Johnny Tan was also labor sector representative to the National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC) from 1965 until 1994 when it was transformed into the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). He chaired the Social Security Commission (SSC) of the Social Security System (SSS) from 1994 to 1998 and remained a member of the SSC until 2002, and in this capacity was an SSS-designate member of the Board of Trustees of the Union Bank and the PCI-Equitable Bank.

Johnny Tan is survived by his spouse Dolores Buan-Tan, their nine children, 13 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

He was laid to rest at the Twin Hearts of Jesus and Mary Church, West Triangle Homes, Quezon City.

We love you, Ka Johnny!