As the newPhilippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III will deliver his 1st State of the nation Address on the 26th of July 2010. People’s organizations in the Philipppines and abroad will at the same time held their People’s State of the Nation gatherings. The call is to mind the ills of the past administration as they look to the first 100 days of the new dispensation and urge President Ninoy Aquino to address this hoping that he will institute change for the BETTER. The calls to the President revolve around the issues of people’s right, social justice, economic development and national sovereignty.
In July 24,2010, the Philippine Solidarity network of Canada in Toronto held it’s event on Peoples’ State of the Nation Address. It was conducted at the Ontario Institute for Studies In Education (OISE),Toronto, Ontario. The keynote speaker of this event was Dr. Constancio “Chandu “ Chairperson, Bayan Canada National Organizing Committee. He was a survivor of a failed assissination attempt in the Philippines in July 31,2006. During the program, the Independent Workers’ Association (IWA) rendered 2 performance 1st is a pantomine on the song WAYA-WAYA which means Freedom and the other one is an interpretative dance based on the song BABAYLAN. Both stage performance showed the resistance from exploitation, abuse and manipulation and great participation of women in protecting the ”KARAPATAN”, “KABUHAYAN ” , “KATARUNGAN” and “KALAYAAN” of the common people.
The guest, Dr. Chandu Claver discussed on vital issues that the new President should address to under his new regime.
- The root cause of migration which is poverty and joblessness that has driven us out of our country forcing us to endure hardships of working in a foreign in order for our families to survive.
- The policy on globalization in the 80′s, there has been a growing trend of unemployment figures in the Phils.
- The previous regime then raised the Labor Export Program to a high level – encouraging the flow of Filipino labor to other countries and relying on the regular remittances of these workers to their families to keep the country afloat.
- The Arroyo government had been borrowing an additional yearly average of 243 billion pesos to cover its deficits, the present debt burden has reached 4.46 trillion pesos this year – more than twice the 2.17 trillion peso debt inherited from the Estrada regime.
- Foreign investors have been given lavish incentives and overly-preferential treatment to the detriment of the Filipino people.
- On the political front, the Arroyo regime has left a sordid mess. More than a thousand killed and more than 200 abducted never to be seen again – a product of a mad counter-insurgency policy called Oplan Bantay Laya.
- And then during the first month of the new president’s term, five more are killed. The instruments of the State 24 have gone overboard with the killings, abductions and the filing of false charges, publicly or subtly egged on by generals, cabinet secretaries and Arroyo herself.
- Also, the past regime has exhibited its capacity for possible widespread electoral fraud, and a tolerance for election violence.
Mr. Claver also presented the People’s Agenda on the Economic and Political Reforms, on Sovereignty and Human Rights, and on addressing the Armed Conflict. Following his speech are the Solidarity Messages from the different individuals, groups and organizations from different nationalities. A Tribute to people’s heroes like Mrs. Alyce Omengan Claver who was murdered last July 31, 2006, Rafael Markus Bangit and Mrs. Gloria Casuga who were victims of extra judicial killings last June 8, 2006 and the enforced disapperance of Mr. James Balao last Sept. 17, 2008 were heard. To conclude the event Mr. Marco Luciano elaborated on the call to action that are need to be done in order for migrants and Filipinos to achieve change .
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