“ito ang aming pananampalataya na sumama sa pinakaapi at pinakaaba. Ito ay misyon ni Hesus noong narito siya sa lupa at ganoon din ang aming misyon ngayon na ang lupa ay gawing langit at di na kailangan hintayin ang kamatayan para maranasan ng mga Pilipino ang buhay na ganap at kasiya-siya. ” said Union Theological Seminary (UTC).
On July 24, various progressive groups including church workers participated in the People’s State of the Nation Address to register their demands for higher wage, lower price on basic commodities, and hold the Marcos-Duterte government accountable for their negligence following the piled-up socio-economic crisis during the first year in their respective government posts.
The protest action took place along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.
Church workers like UTC, Rural Missionary of the Philippines, Order of Carmelites, United Church of Christ, among others joined the protest in the promotion of justice in peace, integrity of creation
On sectoral demands
“Ang ipinaglalaban ng iba’t ibang sektor tulad ng magsasaka, mangingisda, at manggagawa ay hindi malayo sa ibinabahagi naming sa mamamayan sa pagsesermon, sa aming pagpapahayag ng mabuting balita at sa aming karanasan,” UTS emphasized.
In Metro Manila, labor groups and unions including Kilusang Mayo Uno National Capital Region campaigned for P200 immediate wage increase.
According to Gerry Serue, KMU NCR spokesperson, the recent wage P40 increase to the minimum wage now set at P610 is offensive and insulting most especially amid inflation and soaring prices on food and basic commodities. That such income could barely suffice a livable wage of a family of five set at P1,200, as per IBON Foundation.
Meanwhile, according to Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilpinas, eight out of 10 farmers do not own the land they till. Furthermore, their vast lands are constantly being bombarded either with land-use conversion alongside the intensified militarization led by Armed Forces of the Philippines.
With regard to fisherfolks, PAMALAKAYA denounced the continuing destructive reclamation projects and Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
PAMALAKAYA noted that despite a recently passed Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) moratorium on new reclamation projects, over 50 projects, covering almost 15,000 hectares, are still in different phases of implementation.
The group added that reclamation only destroys fishers’ livelihoods and communities, deprives them of their future, and leads to the loss of food security and self-reliance among the Filipino people.
“Sana yong gobyerno, tutukan ang pagprotekta ng kabundukan, natural resources sa Pilipinas. Isa iyan sa panawagan ng taong simbahan. Para sa kinabukasan ng mamamayang Pilipino” said Order of Carmelites.
Environmental group KALIKASAN elaborated their 5-point demands to push for accountability and genuine, pro-people, pro-planet action from the Marcos-Duterte administration. These are as follows:
- Protect our seas and shores. Moratorium on reclamation projects now.
- Reject Marcos Mining expansion. Pass the People’s Mining Bill
- No to False Solutions, Climate Justice Now!
- Oppose toxic military intervention, US bases out now!
- Address the escalating attacks against
KALIKASAN emphasized the call to remove US military bases in the country.
Accordingly, there will be more than 500 joint military exercises between the US and the Philippines of which the Balikatan exercises held last April, considered to be the largest and biggest US-PH joint military exercise in history with more than 12,600 American troops participants, is already included in the said agreement.
The environmental group further echoed to resurface indigenous rights and environmental activists Dexter Capuyan and Bazoo de Jesus that have been abducted and missing for two months now.
Condemn the anti-people policies
“Ang mga maririnig natin sa ating telebisyon at ang lagi nating sinasabing pinuno, ay mga huwad lamang na programa na iilan lamang ang nakikinabang samantalang ang mga Pilipino ay sila ang patuloy na nahihirapan. Bilang taong simbahan, kasama sa pagsasabuhay ng aming pananampalataya ay ang pagpanawagan sa taong nangangailangan,” said United Church of Christ (UCC).
UCC noted that Marcos-Duterte administration has only prioritized its subservience to foreign power domination like US and China alongside the promotion of intensified counter-insurgency efforts and economic policies deemed as “anti-people”.
It must be noted that Marcos Jr. signed the US-PH Bilateral Defense Agreement during his visit in the US on May this year. Such agreement aimed to strengthen the pact through Mutual Defense Treaty of US and the Philippines.
According to groups, Marcos Jr. has only allowed US to position itself in the military control to use the Philippines as a pawn in its war strategy against China.
While China has also put premium and enforced its Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a free-trade agreement also signed by Marcos Jr. administration, to pave way for privatizations of public services resulting to skyrocketing of prices in basic commodities and further push workers’ wages down.
“Kaya tayo sumama sa SONA ng mamamayan. Ipanawagan ang tunay na kalagayan ng mamamayang nangangailangan,” UCC emphasized.
UCC is one among church organizations, with its priests, nuns, and church workers, being red tagged and affiliated as “terrorists”.
Given this, UCC called on for the abolition of National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
It must be noted that NTF-ELCAC was established through Executive Order 70 enacted by former Duterte administration for intensified militarization among rural and urban communities by promoting focused-military operations (FMO) and retooled community support programs (RCPSO).
Rights-group KARAPATAN reported at least 60 victims of enforced disappearances in 40 incidents as of June 30, with 20 in Negros and 16 in Bicol. Both two of the three regions have been singled out for intensified counter-insurgency operations under Memorandum 32 enacted since Duterte administration.
According to KARAPATAN, the said memorandum imposed a de facto martial law in the provinces of Negros, Bicol, and Samar among major provinces in Visayas region.
UCC further condemned the continuing counter-insurgency efforts by the Marcos-Duterte administration at the helm of NTF-ELCAC and their state-forces like PNP-AFP.
They also called on to junk the Anti-Terrorism Law that has been used by to vilify activists and critics.
