Communiqué
Ipagpatuloy: Living the Storm
December 5, 2005
In an unprecedented effort to understand their role and responsibility as overseas Filipino youth in movements of social transformation, 80 Filipino youth and supporters from Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Seattle, Los Angeles and New York came together in Vancouver at a recent conference entitled, “Ipagpatuloy: (Continue On) Living the Storm,” held last November 25-27, 2005.
Hosted by the Vancouver Chapter of Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance (UKPC/FCYA), the conference marked the 35th anniversary of the First Quarter Storm (FQS), which coincides with UKPC’s 10-year anniversary. The FQS refers to the events during the first three months of 1970 when thousands of youth and students stormed the streets of Manila to protest against what they called the US-puppet regime of then President Ferdinand Marcos. Starting in January 1970, the student-led demonstrations grew from 50,000 to 100,000 and continued relentlessly every week until March 1970 and spread out into other provinces.
Professor Jose Maria Sison explained in his keynote address, delivered via pre-recorded audio, that Filipino youth can “grasp the relevance of FQS by becoming aware of the fact that the crisis conditions that brought about the FQS drove their parents out of the Philippines and delivered them to another set of crisis conditions in Canada.”
Following the keynote was a panel with Bonifacio Ilagan and Judy Taguiwalo, both FQS veterans. They shared their personal experiences as youth organizers within — but not limited to — the areas of cultural and women’s work.
Ilagan, currently the chair of the First Quarter Storm Movement in the Philippines, recalls the years of organizing work before the Storm. “It did not happen in a flash,” He said. “The making of the Storm dated back to decades previous to 1970. While the Storm was unplanned in its entirety, it followed a course, or should I say a commitment.”
Professor Judy Taguiwalo of the University of the Philippines spoke about her experiences as a youth organizer of the militant women’s organization MAKIBAKA, which sought to advance the struggle for women’s liberation and national liberation of the Philippines.
To give insight in to the history of organizing amongst overseas Filipino (particularly in Canada) was Emmanuel Sayo of the British Columbia Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, and Ricky Esguerra, of the Philippine Network for Justice and Peace in Toronto, Ontario.
Sayo and Esguerra spoke on Filipino migration in the context of the Philippine government’s Labour Export Policy — developed by the Marcos dictatorship in the 1970’s — that actively forces Filipinos abroad to receiving countries like Canada that benefit from the cheap labour of migrant Filipinos.
Heavy emotions from the day were channeled during solidarity night through powerful performances of song, poetry, theatre and dance. The night included performances from conference delegates and guests, and of course as expected, veterans of the First Quarter Storm, of which there were no less than ten present on stage. Solidarity night was vibrant and energetic, as expected from youth, and the young at heart. Members of UKPC – Vancouver surprised the audience with a modern version of the FQS song, “Gumising Ka, Kabataan!” as well as original pieces.
Day two of the conference opened with a panel presentation from two young activists who shared their journeys from being students of exclusive schools to being students of the people and ultimately serving them.
Cherry Clemente, Secretary General of Anakpawis political party was born a week after martial law was declared in 1972. Her parents feared that sending her to the University of the Philippines would transform her to be an activist so she ended up at the exclusive girl’s school St. Scholastica College where she quickly rose to become the school’s magazine editor. After her studies, she worked full time for the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP).
“Filipino youth is an active political force and component of the broad movement to oust Arroyo,” said Clemente. “But most importantly, they are a potent political force needed in waging the national democratic revolution in the country.” She said the youth comprise more than 30.2 million or more than 40 percent of the Philippine population, the majority living in the countryside.
But Clemente warned that while the youth is an effective force in the struggle for national freedom and democracy “we cannot carry out this struggle to victory by ourselves. We have to integrate ourselves with the lives and struggles of the basic masses of workers and peasants as well as of fishermen and urban poor.” To this end, she issued an open invitation to Filipino youth in Canada to “go home” and integrate with the people.
Like Clemente, Hetty Alcuitas was a “martial law baby” born in Winnipeg to immigrant parents. And like Clemente, her parents also dreamed of her becoming a lawyer or a doctor but ended up an ‘activist’. She was one of the founding members of UKPC.
Tracing the history of organizing among Filipino youth in Canada, she identified systemic racism, identity crisis, class exploitation under imperialist globalization and gender oppression as among the major issues confronting Filipino-Canadian youth.
Participants gathered in workshops after the panel to deepen their understanding of the issues Filipino youth in Canada face, particularly: racism, access to education and employment, forced migration and family separation and reunification, and issues of young women.
Action planning around areas of educating, organizing and mobilizing on local, national and international levels focused on continuing the program of action that UKPC began ten years ago. It includes: 1) Conducting studies on the situation of Filipino youth in Canada, the Philippines and the larger community, 2) carrying out campaigns to fight for their rights and welfare in Canada; 3) Participating in the Filipino people’s national democratic struggle; 4) Integrating with the most exploited and oppressed sectors in the Philippines (the workers and peasants) and in Canada (the migrant workers) and 5) Building alliances and a strong organization. There was also a strong unity for the need to form a national youth organization.
Participants renewed their commitment to serve the people by fighting for the rights and welfare of the Filipino youth and larger community in Canada and actively participating and supporting the Filipino people’s struggle for national democracy in the Philippines.
December 5, 2005
In an unprecedented effort to understand their role and responsibility as overseas Filipino youth in movements of social transformation, 80 Filipino youth and supporters from Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Seattle, Los Angeles and New York came together in Vancouver at a recent conference entitled, “Ipagpatuloy: (Continue On) Living the Storm,” held last November 25-27, 2005.
Hosted by the Vancouver Chapter of Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance (UKPC/FCYA), the conference marked the 35th anniversary of the First Quarter Storm (FQS), which coincides with UKPC’s 10-year anniversary. The FQS refers to the events during the first three months of 1970 when thousands of youth and students stormed the streets of Manila to protest against what they called the US-puppet regime of then President Ferdinand Marcos. Starting in January 1970, the student-led demonstrations grew from 50,000 to 100,000 and continued relentlessly every week until March 1970 and spread out into other provinces.
Professor Jose Maria Sison explained in his keynote address, delivered via pre-recorded audio, that Filipino youth can “grasp the relevance of FQS by becoming aware of the fact that the crisis conditions that brought about the FQS drove their parents out of the Philippines and delivered them to another set of crisis conditions in Canada.”
Following the keynote was a panel with Bonifacio Ilagan and Judy Taguiwalo, both FQS veterans. They shared their personal experiences as youth organizers within — but not limited to — the areas of cultural and women’s work.
Ilagan, currently the chair of the First Quarter Storm Movement in the Philippines, recalls the years of organizing work before the Storm. “It did not happen in a flash,” He said. “The making of the Storm dated back to decades previous to 1970. While the Storm was unplanned in its entirety, it followed a course, or should I say a commitment.”
Professor Judy Taguiwalo of the University of the Philippines spoke about her experiences as a youth organizer of the militant women’s organization MAKIBAKA, which sought to advance the struggle for women’s liberation and national liberation of the Philippines.
To give insight in to the history of organizing amongst overseas Filipino (particularly in Canada) was Emmanuel Sayo of the British Columbia Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, and Ricky Esguerra, of the Philippine Network for Justice and Peace in Toronto, Ontario.
Sayo and Esguerra spoke on Filipino migration in the context of the Philippine government’s Labour Export Policy — developed by the Marcos dictatorship in the 1970’s — that actively forces Filipinos abroad to receiving countries like Canada that benefit from the cheap labour of migrant Filipinos.
Heavy emotions from the day were channeled during solidarity night through powerful performances of song, poetry, theatre and dance. The night included performances from conference delegates and guests, and of course as expected, veterans of the First Quarter Storm, of which there were no less than ten present on stage. Solidarity night was vibrant and energetic, as expected from youth, and the young at heart. Members of UKPC – Vancouver surprised the audience with a modern version of the FQS song, “Gumising Ka, Kabataan!” as well as original pieces.
Day two of the conference opened with a panel presentation from two young activists who shared their journeys from being students of exclusive schools to being students of the people and ultimately serving them.
Cherry Clemente, Secretary General of Anakpawis political party was born a week after martial law was declared in 1972. Her parents feared that sending her to the University of the Philippines would transform her to be an activist so she ended up at the exclusive girl’s school St. Scholastica College where she quickly rose to become the school’s magazine editor. After her studies, she worked full time for the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP).
“Filipino youth is an active political force and component of the broad movement to oust Arroyo,” said Clemente. “But most importantly, they are a potent political force needed in waging the national democratic revolution in the country.” She said the youth comprise more than 30.2 million or more than 40 percent of the Philippine population, the majority living in the countryside.
But Clemente warned that while the youth is an effective force in the struggle for national freedom and democracy “we cannot carry out this struggle to victory by ourselves. We have to integrate ourselves with the lives and struggles of the basic masses of workers and peasants as well as of fishermen and urban poor.” To this end, she issued an open invitation to Filipino youth in Canada to “go home” and integrate with the people.
Like Clemente, Hetty Alcuitas was a “martial law baby” born in Winnipeg to immigrant parents. And like Clemente, her parents also dreamed of her becoming a lawyer or a doctor but ended up an ‘activist’. She was one of the founding members of UKPC.
Tracing the history of organizing among Filipino youth in Canada, she identified systemic racism, identity crisis, class exploitation under imperialist globalization and gender oppression as among the major issues confronting Filipino-Canadian youth.
Participants gathered in workshops after the panel to deepen their understanding of the issues Filipino youth in Canada face, particularly: racism, access to education and employment, forced migration and family separation and reunification, and issues of young women.
Action planning around areas of educating, organizing and mobilizing on local, national and international levels focused on continuing the program of action that UKPC began ten years ago. It includes: 1) Conducting studies on the situation of Filipino youth in Canada, the Philippines and the larger community, 2) carrying out campaigns to fight for their rights and welfare in Canada; 3) Participating in the Filipino people’s national democratic struggle; 4) Integrating with the most exploited and oppressed sectors in the Philippines (the workers and peasants) and in Canada (the migrant workers) and 5) Building alliances and a strong organization. There was also a strong unity for the need to form a national youth organization.
Participants renewed their commitment to serve the people by fighting for the rights and welfare of the Filipino youth and larger community in Canada and actively participating and supporting the Filipino people’s struggle for national democracy in the Philippines.
posted by ukpc-toronto @ 3:51 a.m.
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