Struggle for National Democracy as the Only Path for Change
Anakbayan-USA joins Filipinos across the US on July 23rd to expose the outright lies and deception of the US-puppet regime of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III as he delivers his third State of the Nation Address. We call on the Filipino youth to fulfill its revolutionary role as the hope of the nation by fully participating in our people’s struggle for genuine change which can only be realized through achieving National Democracy.
Success and Progress For Whom?
Aquino’s mythology of taking a “Righteous Path” only serves the interests of the ruling class and US imperialism. He hypes the 6.4% gross domestic product growth rate as a sign of success, but this so-called “growth” only benefits the top 1% of Filipinos – the big landlords and big corporations. Despite the global economic crisis, the top 40 richest Filipinos doubled their wealth from $23 billion in 2009 to a total $47.4 billion in 2011. Meanwhile, working families are experiencing deepening poverty and economic hardship. This is made possible through Aquino’s economic centerpiece, the Public-Private Partnership program, which increases the privatization and commercialization of vital services such as health and education. Approximately 26 public hospitals are to be turned over to private corporations and 1.4 million urban poor families are in danger of being displaced in order to make way for business projects of private corporations.
By deregulating the costs of tuition and repeatedly cutting the budget for public schools, Aquino has made education inaccessible to the majority of Filipino youth. There is a rising number of college dropouts due to the fact that public schools are now as expensive as private schools. Currently, 50% of children age 11-15 are out-of-school. Aquino’s conversion to a K-12 educational system only serves the demands of the foreign labor market by producing more semi-skilled workers to be exploited in low-paying jobs overseas. It does not create genuine economic development for the Philippines. Meanwhile, the great majority of youth continue to be unemployed or underemployed under short-term contractual jobs.
Aquino maintains and imposes this unjust order through Oplan Bayanihan, the US-dictated counter insurgency program that unleashes violence on the civilian population and continues the previous Arroyo regime’s blatant disregard for human rights. At least one community leader or activist is killed every week, amounting to a total of 100 victims of extrajudicial killings. This brutal counter insurgency program is funded by $30 million in military aid from our US tax dollars.
Selling-Out the Philippines’ Sovereignty
Aquino is pushing to further entrench the Philippines as a vassal state of US imperialism. He pretends to be ultra-patriotic against China’s muscle flexing in the disputed territories of Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands, while openly allowing the intrusion of US military forces in the Philippines. Currently, there are 4,500 US troops in the Philippines. Predator drones are deployed for surveillance and bombing operations, particularly in Mindanao. Nuclear-capable warships and submarines dock for service in the Philippine shores. What’s worse, Aquino has illegally given permission for the reopening of former US military bases in the Philippines. All of these treasonous acts are in complete disregard and violation of the provisions in the Philippine Constitution of 1987 that prohibit foreign troops.
National Democracy vs. Aquino’s “Righteous Path”
The current state of the Philippine nation clearly tells us that Aquino’s “Righteous Path” is leading us towards greater poverty, hunger and exploitation. It also clearly tells us that the only true solution is to continue and intensify our struggle for national liberation and genuine people’s democracy.
The struggle for National Democracy is the movement to achieve genuine independence by liberating the country from foreign control and establishing a truly democratic people’s government that is run by the working people themselves. It is the fulfillment of the concrete needs and interests of the majority in the Philippines, particularly the peasants and workers which comprise 90% of the population.
Through implementing a genuine agrarian reform, land monopolies of the major landlords like the Cojuangco-Aquinos will be dismantled and distributed to the landless peasants, liberating 75% of the population from a backward and exploitative condition. This land reform serve as the foundation for national industrialization that will enable us to tap the rich natural resources of the Philippines for benefit of our people. It is only through national industrialization that we can create full employment for the Filipino people and put an end to the systematic export of migrant labor as a means of survival.
Under this new system, free quality health care and education will be available for all. The guarantee of political and civil rights will ensure the full development and participation of the people towards true social progress.
Youth as the Hope of the Nation
It is apparent that there is no bright future for the Filipino youth and people under the current political, economic, and social system in the Philippines. Now more than ever, it is urgent that Filipino youth combine with all the sectors of Philippine society to replace the current system with one that truly serves their interests.
As chapters of Anakbayan are now being established across the US, Canada, and Australia, we have an important role in spreading awareness to the international community of our people’s struggle for freedom. As Filipino youth overseas, we must arouse, organize and mobilize the people to address the needs of our community abroad and strengthen international support for the struggle for National Democracy, the only genuine solution to the problems in the Philippines.
It is only by fully participating and contributing to the struggle for national democracy can we concretely fulfill our role as the true hope of the nation.
Reject the Lies of the US-Aquino Regime!
US Troops Out of the Philippines!
Increase the Budget for Education and Social Services!
Advance the Struggle for National Democracy in the Philippines!
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