Groups under the Kilusang Bayanihan alliance conducted a relief operation at an evacuation center in Bauan, Batangas for people displaced by the Taal volcanic eruption last January.
Their program consisted of a visual art workshop for children from ages 4-19, spearheaded by Ugatlahi Artists’ Collective and the UP Artists’ Circle Sorority, followed by a short program and the distribution of relief items such as food, water, and toiletries.
Kilusang Bayanihan consists of several peoples’ organizations, including labor unions, urban poor organizations, student organizations, artist collectives, among others. They have been active since 2009, conducting relief operations for affected communities of various disasters and calamities, including Typhoon Ondoy in 2009 and Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
“Sa madalian po ang relief, pero pangmatagalan po gusto nating ituloy-tuloy na hindi lamang relief ang ating matanggap kundi mabuting pamumuno, ang pondo ng bayan mapunta talaga sa mga serbisyo, at matiyak na itong climate change ay ma-mainstream na ang response sa iba’t iba nating mga institusyon,” said Mong Palatino, a representative of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-NCR, a member organization of Kilusang Bayanihan, in his solidarity message.
[The relief operation is for the immediate needs, but we want in the long term that not we will not only receive relief operations but good leadership, the people’s money going to services and to ensure that the response to climate change is mainstreamed to various institutions.]
