KAWOMENAN WINTER 1997

FROM GABRIELA PHILIPPINES

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Manila sees Biggest Protest in Over a Decade

SEPTEMBER 21, MANILA: A nationwide protest victoriously attested to the Filipino people’s commitment to struggling for self-determination and freedom from increasingly dictatorial maneuvers by the current government.
40,000 Filipinos participated in the Luneta - Mendiola torch march to protest Charter amendments and attempts by U.S.-controlled President Ramos to stay in power.

Led by militant groups like GABRIELA, BAYAN, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), and League of Filipino Students, the rally was joined by hundreds of allied organizations, NGOs, religious congregations, arts and music groups, and individuals simply concerned with the issues at hand.

Despite efforts by the police and military to intimidate and disrupt the protest, the torch march successfully made its way to Mendiola. At every turn, protesters voiced their concern about the danger of Ramos abolishing a provision that has been put in place to prevent tyrannical rule. Charter changes may further entrench foreign and big business interests in the Philippines at the price of Filipino people’s lives and sovereignty.

Following the march, there was a prayer rally at which an estimated 600,000 people from all sectors and walks of life were present.

Similar protest actions were led in other areas of the archipelago, both in the cities and provinces. BAYAN International and Migrante International also organized actions in the U.S. and Europe.

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GABRIELA Cooks Up a Storm

October 22, Manila: GABRIELA Philippines held a ‘cooking rally’ at Plaza Miranda to protest economic policies of the government, and to demand higher wages and better conditions.

Well over 100 members of GABRIELA partook in the dramatization, which included a portrayal of President Ramos as the ‘chef’ who was ‘cooking the Filipinos alive’ with ‘ingredients’ such as increases in oil price hikes, the peso devaluation, anti-labor laws and other ‘anti-poor’ policies.

The menu included such ‘dishes’ as ‘Pinikpikang Pinoy’ (‘punished Filipino’ – a pun on Pinikpikang Pinoy, a highland delicacy prepared by beating a chicken to death) and ‘nagbabagabg militarisasyon’ (flaming militarization) cooked in oil by ‘tatlong kartel ng kumukulong langis,’ in referece to the petroleum cartel of Shell, Caltex and Petron.

Other menu items included ‘Binurong Sahod ng Manggagawa’ or Pickled Workers’ Wages, which was a mixture of ‘dinikdik na piketlayn’ (‘crushed picket lines’), flavored with ‘sabaw ng dayuhang kapitalista’ (‘soup of foreign capitalists’).

‘Mr. Ramos’ concluded by serving theses dishes to his ‘master, Uncle Sam’ who, GABRIELA said, wanted the Philippine government to be surbservient to his policies.

‘These dishes which are being fed to our women and the Filipino people have brought nothing but ever-worsening poverty,’ said Carmen Deunida, chair of the Samahan ng Malayang Kababaihang Nagkakaisa. Continuing, she said that Filipino women are forced to seek employment abroad and to engage in prostitution because of the government’s anti-women policies.

After the ‘cooking rally,’ the women prepared to join the ongoing ‘Lakbayan ng Mamamayan Laban sa Kahirapan,’ an anti-poverty march being spearheaded by workers and peasants in Luzon.

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A Fishy Smell Dumped Near the Corrupt Stench of Government

On October 10, fisherfolk dumped rotten fish in front of the building of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Quezon City to protest the Mining Act of 1995 which, they say, is the cause of death of many fish and mass environmental degradation.

The Nationwide Coalition of Fisherfolk for Aquatic Reform (Nacfar) and Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya-Pilipinas) led the picket by some 20 groups.

Similar rallies were staged at every DENR office in the country to coincide with the celebration of the month of indigenous peoples and peasants.
Carrying placards and banners, protesters chanted and sang songs to denounce the Mining Act of 1995 which they said allowed the ‘plunder of the country's resources.’

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said the peasants and indigenous peoples have no reason to celebrate the month because they were adversely affected by the mining law and that the liberalization of the mining industry has led to destructive large-scale mining operations.

‘(These) have destroyed communities and displaced people from their land in various parts. These also pose massive and irreversible destruction to the environment,’ BAYAN said.

The Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (Kamp) cited the damage caused by the Marcopper mine tailings on the environment and the people of Marinduque.

Western Mining Corp (WMC) is conducting an exploration of 99,400 hectares in the boundaries of Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Saranggani and Davao del Sur and is planning to operate open pit mining.

‘Fisherfolk express fear on the devastating impact (further) mining operation(s) would generate judging from the massive operations the mining firm is conducting,’ Kamp said, warning that the mine operations would be endangering 5 major river systems which provide livelihood to thousands of coastal fishing families.

Oscar Atadero, Nacfar coordinator, denounced the mining law, saying it legitimized the total sellout of the country's economy and patrimony to foreigners, noting that the law pushed for transnational involvement.

He echoed the call of fisherfolk groups for the scrapping of the mining act and the cancellation of all applications for Financial and Technical Assistance Agreements.

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We Denounce Ramos’ Attempts at Charter Change

While the attempt of Pres. Ramos to amend the Philippine constitution so that he can eventually run for reelection seems to have stalled momentarily, we should remain vigilant. We must be aware that Pres. Ramos and his military henchmen have still plenty of dirty tactics left in their arsenal of psychological warfare to perpetuate themselves in power. Already, Gen. Renato de Villa is being groomed as the Ramos clone should the latter find it impossible to personally run in 1998.

As overseas Filipinos, we continue to follow events in the Philippines. We are proud of the September 21st nationwide protest against the charter change that mobilized millions of Filipinos in various parts of the country. We admire their courage of standing up to the threat of further militarization and calling for the defense of their democratic rights. The huge mobilization and loud protests have practically forced Ramos to declare that martial law would not be declared and that the May 1998 elections should be held.

The successful mobilization has also exposed the lies about so-called ‘economic prosperity’ and ‘political stability’ in the Philippines. It has shown how Ramos and his ruling faction are becoming more isolated from the majority of the people. Its program of deregulation, privatization and liberalization continues to take a heavy toll on the lives of the masses of the people. The continuous presence of migrant workers in foreign lands working for low wages is a tragic sign of the economic crisis besetting the country today. Surely, they are called ‘modern heroes’ only because of the huge remittance they send to help prop up the country’s semi-feudal and semi-colonial economy.

That the United States has decided to send Stanley Roth, its state secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs during the course of this anti-charter campaign, is an indication of the growing concern that the United States has for its neo-colony. The US is aware of the potential political risk and instability should Ramos decide to go against the will of the Filipino people. Hence, the attempt at micro-management in order to continue its domination over the political economy of the Philippines.

Once more we admire the courage of the Filipino people in standing up to the attempts of Ramos and his ruling clique to perpetuate themselves in power even as we also denounce the blatant intervention of the United States in order to continue its domination of the Philippines as its neo-colony.
Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada

BC Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
SIKLAB (Sulong, Itaguyod ang Karapatan ng Manggagawang Pilipino sa Labas ng Bansa)
Philippine Women Centre of BC

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Supporting the Filipino Struggle for Quality, Accessible Health Care:
The Philippine Health Support Network

This Fall, the Philippine Health Support Network began its mission to support the Council of Health and Development (CHD)—a conglomerate of over 100 community-based health programs (CBHPs) throughout the Philippines. Since 1973, these CBHPs have worked tirelessly to respond to the health care needs of poor rural and urban Filipino communities while placing the struggle for accessible, quality health care within the larger context of social transformation. CBHPs emphasize community empowerment and thus help organize communities to see the structural roots of their illness. They also train members of the community to meet their own physical, culturally-specific health needs.

Currently, the health care sector in the Philippines receives only 2% of the national budget and there is an increase in privatization of health care services. 1,277 children die daily from diarrhea and one child dies every day from measles. (Both of these are preventable diseases, virtually eradicated in the US). Thus, the challenges the CHD faces are great. The Philippine Health Support Network is an organization dedicated to supporting the CHD by increasing US awareness of the Filipino health crisis and the ongoing effort within the Philippines to fight for basic rights. The Philippine Health Support Network will also hold donation drives and fund raisers to help meet the CHD’s material and financial needs. We believe the CHD is an integral and vital force within the overall struggle for social justice and therefore direct our efforts to ensuring that their pioneering work continues.

For more information on the PHSN and/or the Filipino health crisis, contact Francis at 718-515-9556, or fsbx@hotmail.com.

 

KAWOMENAN WINTER 1997

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