Keeping the flames burning no matter what
Kat Ulrike
For sure some would rejoice thinking that the battle will soon be over. But will the people accept their message and stop fighting? In the face of mass misery that cries to the heavens, of the hopelessness of economic chaos, of the desperation of working people after the pandemic, and the growing mood of panic in the country would say that the prevailing mood outweighs the casualties in the battlefield, what more to see that the expression is not of mourning, but that of reaffirming-and of fighting.
How come? Contrary to what the establishment would have you believe, those who steadfastly seek the truth from the facts will continue the protracted struggle, and current socioeconomic issues do serve as external, objective forces that consistently motivate the Filipino people to engage in conflict. What's more, one can see that decades' worth of work and deeds have produced and will continue to produce hundreds of thousands of revolutionaries with the skills to lead and instigate change by any means regardless of the establishment’s statements and claims of “victories” as well as pretensions of wanting for peace. These goons have attempted to cover up their treacherous actions while spewing their narrative, blaming "the rebels" for the crimes they have committed against the country while robbing the populace of the last vestiges of a respectable existence through their intolerable and inflammatory attempts to stifle the country's social life. But the truth of having the country still facing the basic problems and those who aggravate inspire the oppressed and exploited Filipino masses to rise up, organise, and mobilise in their millions to fight and be prepared to give their lives if necessary.
While a developing nation is impacted by the economic crisis and thus is unable to escape the issue due to the way it submits to neoliberal socioeconomic policies, the order finds this to be "developmental" even though it is not. Therefore, seeking truth from facts and the right to struggle for national and social liberation goes beyond the local sphere. No matter how "developmental" they may seem, these policies are actually anti-national in nature and are imposed by "developed" countries and their moneylenders. Trade, investments, resource ownership, and other policies that sacrificed national patrimony and disregarded human rights are among these. For as in other countries still facing the worsening economic crisis, this shows that the global capitalist system is again set on a downward spiral, after a short period of momentary expansion last year following the global recession of 2020 during the height of the COVID19 pandemic. Most developed countries are still affected in this downturn due to high oil prices and the aftershocks of pandemic-related disruptions of globalized supply chains resulting to high inflation.
The US economy stagnated at the start of the first half of 2022 and is already headed for a recession in 2023 after the Federal Reserve started raising interest rates in the middle of the year, which reduced production. On the other hand, as a result of a deepening financial crisis marked by high levels of debt, bank and real estate defaults, a sharp decline in property development, and sluggish production output, “peoples” China, which has long been regarded as the engine of global economic growth and an examplar of “Socialist Market Economy” is still marred by its own problems. With these two “developed” examples, it can be concluded that, in addition to the effects of the crisis on developed countries, the vast majority of developing or underdeveloped economies (that the Philippines is included) also experience steep inflation, acute unemployment, currency devaluations as a result of US efforts to strengthen the dollar, which causes sharp increases in the price of food and other imports, a decline in foreign direct investments, and ongoing trade deficits.
The pandemic has compelled nations to enact protectionist measures "to save jobs and promote production," yet they are still holding onto the hope that neoliberalism will soon return, particularly in nations that have been condemned by decades of neoliberal impositions to allow unrestrained plunder, which has resulted in the massive destruction of productive forces and economic resources.
But again, will the folk just stay mum on this? The order tries to appease people be it promising them 20 peso for a kilo of rice to that of subsidies for those affected by the crisis, yet they failed to resolve problems regarding food sufficiency and security that even the price of onions remains expensive. The order would even claim that the decades-old battle would soon over in their own terms, but in spite of their statements the chronic crisis continues to worsen as living standards deteriorate, what more to see people expressing a strong dissent against a regime who speaks much of “unity” yet failing to address the people’s suffering, let alone treating the people as a propaganda piece in their quest for power alongside those with entrenched interests. Such realities has made the people act urgently to defend their rights and welfare amid threats of a sharp economic crisis that can bring about poverty and hunger.
As in other countries that felt the crisis, workers are staging major strikes and mass demonstrations to amplify their demand for wage increases and better working conditions. In the US, union organizing is on the rise including those being formed in major corporations in response to rising cost of living and low wages. In China, Increasing number of strikes & protests take place as more workers complain about unsafe working conditions and lower pay following virus cases contrary to their government’s “zero Covid strategy”. For sure from these examples around the world not just these two developed countries would say that the working class had enough of the pretensions brought by interest seekers and instead assert just calls be it protecting and promoting local businesses, jobs and better wages, price controls and consumer protection, and efficient social services especially in this recovering times the way they have enough of anti-national policies on trade, investments, economic resource ownership, and other neoliberal policies imposed by imperialist banks and governments.
However, since oppression is intensified by interest seekers, then expect a renewed resistance in various means necessarily, not just to assert just calls, but to advance just causes. For amid worsening sufferings, repression and state neglect, of messages downplaying people’s struggles, the overall crisis of the ruling system is generating broad people’s resistance. Claims of "recovery" from this pandemic crisis also failed to address the issue, as workers' and middle-income sectors' living conditions continue to deteriorate, owing to high inflation, low wages, widespread unemployment, food shortages, and an overall decay of productive forces. The debt servicing, military spending, pork barrel funds, overpriced "infrastructure" projects, and other unproductive spending planned throughout the current administration will be paid for with new loans, austerity measures, and decreased spending on social services, while housing, public health care, and education will all receive even less funding. The cost of living has also increased as a result of high prices for basic necessities like food, fuel, and transportation as well as for services like health care and education. Furthermore, tax cuts for wealthy individuals and large corporations alike will eventually be offset by increased consumption taxes on the middle class and poor.
Authorities and their defenders, however, are clinging to their position and employing a combination of armed repression and widespread deception. To futher claim that the struggle is irrelevant massive sums of money are being invested in this campaign of disinformation in mainstream and social media to drown critical news and information. This campaign includes promoting false images of contentment, distorting history, to that of terrorist-labelling and red-tagging to divert people's attention from important issues, muzzle their voices, keep them submissive, undermine social unrest, and divert people from the path of collective struggle. And attacks against unions, community organizations, school associations and others have been stepped up on the pretext of counterinsurgency. However, such campaigns don't change the fact that assaults on the populace are even more ruthless and brutal. Both individuals and organisations concerned are subject to surveillance and harassment, which violates people's fundamental rights. Authorities pursue them to "surrender," but people who refuse to submit or cooperate with the authorities face arrest, torture, or death- while laws are being disregarded in order to achieve “victory”.
But regardless of downplays and attempts to mislead the folk, the crisis has made the country perched atop a social volcano that is constantly rumbling and about to blow. The vast majority of labouring people, including workers, peasants, and other groups, are growing increasingly uneasy about the economic crisis and outraged by the Marcos regime's flagrant disregard for the people's deteriorating conditions since assuming power. The Marcos regime will undoubtedly encounter fierce opposition from the populace in the coming years as it pushes to implement its anti-national and anti-people policies and programmes. But come to think of this: since the regime talked about the need for unity, then yes the people have acknowledged the need for unity, yes that unity incites the people to resist and the will to continue carrying the torches of struggle, as it continuously seeks truth from facts and reveals the still corrupt nature of the current administration alongside asserting just cause by any means necessarily.