Struggling for Liberation despite 'Hindipendence'

Struggling for Liberation despite 'Hindipendence'

(Or "notes after Hindipendence and how people
chose to continue the national-social struggle")

As the country celebrates its "independence day", let the people first see at some major realities the country is really experiencing- such as those deemed inconvenient.

For at first it is indeniable that International high finance, via its domestic stooges still continues to maintain its grip over the country. And since everyone knows that a chunk of the national budget goes to paying debts to multinational moneylenders if not those of its neighbouring countries, every Filipino felt its continuous hardships especially in seeing prices of commodities and services increasing, while seeing their wages insufficient and their living standards as unjust.

For as these elites afforded to say "Change is coming" under Duterte, they all invested in the leader's tough guy stance towards the people, knowing that the people had voted him with all the promises of security and stability if not an answer to the problems left by past administrations.

However, that administration whom promises that so-called "change" is actually doing a continuity for as the concerned knows how Duterte, as any other president, had to continue the programs of past administrators, abit with different names and amended with new terms, as well as stresses its firm commitment to upheld the status quo, even at the expense of the people.

"You shall devour all the peoples", this may be the hidden statement of despotic landlords, interest-seeking compradores, and corrupt bureaucrats as they insist their version of development which is based on profit than the welfare of the people-usually cloaked with terms like initiative, competition, cooperation, freedom, anything that pleases the people when in fact tries to keep the country held by multinationals and its domestic stooges.

For sure initially most people find a ray of hope on those developments, especially under a regime whose toughness means action, and action means a myriad of fulfillment- and Duterte, just like his own predecessors would have taken pride in its various programs, its dispensation of justice, and other numerous promises that hath been churned throughout social media to those of television, radio, and print- enough to shatter the people's will to resist, bit by bit including those of taking over the most important structures of the state body.

But despite all these "achievements", or even claims that "change" has taken root over the country, the fact that the administration sworn to upheld the status quo it all means having repression, injustice, corruption be prevail- for as everyone knows that the regime had its bloodied records (using drug war as one of its alibis) and incompetent bureaucrats (like in the case of Tulfo-Teo or Mocha Uson), its economic programs created a negative effect especially towards the working masses whose living wages remain low despite high costs of goods and services.

The TRAIN law which supposed to uplift the laborers with promises of take home pay hath rather made these costs increased, if not listening from its economists justifing low wages. With this did diminish that kind of "change" been blared about. The TRAIN-suppored BUILD BUILD BUILD program rather benefit moneylenders as well, that in turn affected the taxpayers with direct and indirect taxes if not slow developments or even chances of corrupt practises; and will that JOBS JOBS JOBS truly benefit workers amidst the fact that Contractualisation and low wages as hot topics by many? There are more matters which people find the administration worth to ridicule than given praise, including those of its foreign policies that regardless of its assumed "independence" from foreign intervenors it didn't even repeal any of the unequal agreements that deprives the country its chance of genuine development for decades.

All in all, the "change" being babbled by the Duterte administration is nothing but a continuity with new terms but same essences, if not a rhetoric meant to sneer every Filipino through the eye and ear despite the fact they are being exploited. Will the people get contented in seeing a country still a vassal of American, Chinese, Japanese and other interests? Will the country remain deprived of chances for genuine national development that benefits those of the laboring masses? No other regime that swore to maintain the semicolonial-semifeudal order would truly adhere to defend its country's independence, safeguard its democracy, and empowering its people.

And thus no wonder why the Filipino people still continues its decades-old, yet still unfinished struggle. In commemorating its Declaration of Independence 120 years ago and honoring those who fought and died for its desire for national independence, it is worth to heed the late Salud Algubre to carry forward the struggle brought about by Rizal, Bonifacio, and his cohorts:

 "No uprising fails. Each one is a step in the right direction. In a long march to final victory, every steps counts, every individual matters, every organization forms part of the whole.”

And all these are for genuine independence, national sovereignty, and social liberation.