Uphold women's struggle for life, livelihood and rights

(Below is a Unity Statement on the occasion of the International Women’s Day on March 8)

REINVIGORATING the militant history and spirit of the International Women’s day, we from Gabriela women’s alliance refuse to shut out our mouths and remain silent.

On the 102nd anniversary of its declaration, we are rising against the oppressive conditions that have been plaguing the Filipina women since time immemorial – poverty, hunger, structural violence, discrimination and the general lack of opportunities for women.

In the present context, President Benigno Aquino III has removed every last piece of his pseudo “righteous path” cloak. From his failure to safeguard the welfare of the Filipino family against the sky-rocketing price increases to his insensitivity towards the protesting survivors of typhoon Pablo and just recently his incompetent handling of the situation at Sabah, the US-Aquino regime is on a frenzy in attacking the families of the working Filipina.

Deceitful is the administration’s “astonishing” 6.6 percent GDP growth as is it anchored on the Aquino government’s stubborn adherence to the defunct promises of neo-liberal Globalization. Not only does this growth benefit the few as the wealth produced is concentrated on the hands of the nation’s economic elites as illustrated by the recent Forbes Magazine’s list of billionaires wherein 12 Filipino tycoons made it to the top. The said “growth” has never even felt by the ordinary Juan and Maria in the grassroots.

True enough, the poverty incidence is still at 20.9 percent while almost half of the population -- 46 million individuals -- are lacking in proper nutrition and more than 3.4 million families are hungry.

Much worse, this artificial growth is the product of the continuing abuse of the motherland’s natural resources mainly through large-scale mining and agri-business plantations. These environmentally dangerous investments are the primary cause of forest denudation leading to horrendous effects to the lowland communities.

The thousands who have died in the typhoon Sendong disaster should have been a warning to the pro-foreign Aquino government. Evidently, when Pablo came, he has not learned his lessons.

As the administration reaches its midpoint, President Aquino is leading a full-scale neglect of its social responsibility by intensifying on giving private contracts to public services. Social services such as health, education and public transport are given to “profit-oriented” corporate entities. State Universities and Colleges are now subject to “socializing scheme.” Government owned and controlled corporations (Gocc) are now being bargained like “ukay-ukay” and 26 public funded hospitals across the country will be granted to private entities, one of them is the Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro City.

As the school year closes this summer, the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) estimates another half a million or roughly 517,000 new college graduates to join the labor force.

Likewise, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) reveals that cyber-services; hotels and restaurants; construction; health and wellness are the main opportunities of employment of late. The big question is that how many of the graduates would be accommodated? What future lies ahead of them?

This process of giving the vital pieces of the economy to the highest bidder underscores the need for a truly nationalist economy with genuine land distribution and agrarian development on its backbone. One that is caring to the needs of the poor majority and not to foreign capital.

This foreign and elite-dominated Philippine system is the main cause of structural violence against women and children. This is the reason why prostitution and trafficking linger to swell in the country reaching to half a million victims. This is the reason why rape and abuses perpetuates with impunity, involving mostly men in uniform and powerful clan – police, military and high officials.

Cybercrime law, milk code and other government laws and bills undermines the interest of women and children.

In our region, “Sendong” survivors, especially mothers and children, suffer still in relocation sites and danger zone communities. Access to livelihood, water, electricity, school and other social services remains a persistent problem. Farm-workers, especially women, of giant agribusiness in Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental had agonized low wages and inhuman labor practice. Women workers in call centers, malls and factories continue to feel pain of discriminations and unequal treatment.

More so, political repression has intensified in yet another bloody anti-insurgency policy -- Oplan Bayanihan. Legitimate voices of dissent have been silenced in a brutal fashion.

Just four days before the world commemorates the International Women's Day, Cristina Jose, one of the leaders of Barug Katawhan (People Stand Up), an organization of victims of typhoon Pablo in Davao Oriental that led the protest at the DSWD office in Davao City, was killed by three men who were aboard a motorcycle. According to human rights watchdog Karapatan, Jose is the first woman victim of extrajudicial killing documented this year, and the 18th, including four minors, since Pres. Noynoy Aquino took office in 2010.

In Northern Mindanao alone, under the Aquino government, three community leaders have fallen. One of them is Jimmy Liguyon, an anti-large scale mining lumad leder and village chief of San Fernando, Bukidnon.

Even after his death, the trail of human rights abuses continue. The bandit and paramilitary leader Alde “butso” Salusad, Liguyon’s killer, has even kidnapped the wife and kids of Sitoy Manlus-ag in a pathetic attempt to force the protesting community to surrender their calls for justice.

Organizers and members of Gabriela, Bayan Muna, Piston and other progressive party list are subject to harassment, intimidation and vilification.

The full emancipation of Filipina women will remain to be a dream under these brutal circumstances.

In the backdrop of a government that is deaf to the cries of its people, it is essential that all women should unite to oppose these oppressive conditions and strengthen its solidarity with the broader multi-sectoral movement for national freedom and genuine democracy. It is time to once again send a message to the Aquino government -- not all women are contented in watching crappy “telenovelas,” most of us are in rage. We are sick of being fooled and of being pushed deep further into the margins. Our desire for change has been much greater. We, the Gabriela Silang of our times, will intensify our struggle to stop the rape of all women and of the motherland.

Uphold Women's struggle for life, livelihood and rights! Stop the intensifying rape of our Motherland!

(Signed by Gabriela leaders and allied women and peoples’ organizations on March 8, Mom’s Corner, Cagayan de Oro City)