See PSONA, page 2
Vol. 1, No. 3 August 2022San Francisco, California FILIPINOS UNITE NATIONWIDE, REJECT NEW MARCOS REGIME IN PHILIPPINES Filipinos from all classes and sectors march from Union Square to the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco on July 25, 2022 for a People’s State of the Nation Address, protesting the new Marcos-Duterte administration in the Philippines.
Photo: Glenn Mercado
Photo: Jen Rocha PSONA, from front page
Over 400 Filipino workers, youth and student activists, and solidarity allies across Northern California shut down Sutter Street on July 25 for a People’s State of the Nation Address (PSONA) to denounce the new Marcos-Duterte regime in the Philippines.Theannual demonstration, led by Filipino and Filipino-allied organizations across the globe, delivers the genuine concerns and demands of the masses. Among those in attendance included representatives from BAYAN USA, Gabriela Oakland, Malaya Movement, League of Filipino Students chapters, Anakbayan USA, and the International Coalition for Human Rights in the PhilippinesFerdinand(ICHRP).“Bongbong”
President Marcos Jr. is the son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who ushered in an era of political repression, violence, and human rights abuses during his presidency between 1965 and 1986. Marcos Sr. is most infamous for his declaration of martial law, which oversaw over 3,240 extrajudicial killings — though rights advocates and martial law survivors say this number is an underestimation. Among those killed were faith leaders, workers, peasant farmers, and students, including youth activist Lorena Barros, who co-founded the Malayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan (Free Movement of New Women). Barros was captured and killed by soldiers in 1976. She was 28 years old. Elected alongside Marcos Jr. as his Vice President was Sara Duterte, daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte. During his six-year term, Rodrigo Duterte carried out a “war on drugs” that led to the deaths of over 30,000 civilians, journalists, politicians, and activists. His campaign of extrajudicial executions mainly targeted poor and working-class Filipinos like Kian Delos Santos. Only a student at the time, Delos Santos was killed by Philippine National Police (PNP) near his home in Caloocan, Metro Manila, on August 16, 2017. The three police officers involved and who lied about the circumstances of the 17-year-old’s death were found guilty one year later. Rodrigo Duterte dismissed the death of Delos Santos and other victims of extrajudicial killings, referring to them as “collateral damage.” Despite international criticism, he continued the anti-narcotics campaign and gave police “permission to kill” suspected drug dealers and users. Following a march from San Francisco’s Union Square, protestors gathered outside the Philippine Consulate chanting “Makibaka, huwag matakot!” Speakers, beginning with Justher Gutierrez of the Malaya Movement, expressed their concerns about Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte’s potential to further their fathers’ legacies.Cely Corpuz and Frances Capupus, the respective internal and external chairs of the Northern California Pilipinx American Student Alliance (NCPASA), encouraged students and youth to follow in the footsteps of those who rose against Marcos Sr. during the 1986 People Power Movement. Filipinos from all sectors of society came together on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, also known as EDSA, demanding an end to Marcos Sr.’s reign of tyranny. Filipinos blocked the avenue for three days before storming the president’s palace on February 25, only to discover that Marcos Sr. had already fled the country with the help of the United States. This historical event symbolized the Filipino people’s resolve and unity to oust a dictator from office. Malaya and Frankie of Liyang Network — a local to global advocacy network for environmental and human rights defenders in the struggle for land, livelihood, and self-determination — spoke on the repercussions of state-sanctioned violence toward Indigenous people and peasants farmers in the Philippines countryside. In one such case, police arrested over 80 artists, journalists, and farmers of Hacienda Tinang at a land cultivation activity on June 9, just days following the appointment of Marcos Jr. Karla Liwanag from GABRIELA USA called on community members to protect queer, femme, nonbinary, and trans Filipinos who have faced violence due to their commitment to the movement against fascism in the United States and the Philippines. Multiple women activists have disappeared during the first month of the Marcos Jr. presidency, including Loi Magbanua, a 57-year-old queer labor organizer. “They are using the same tactics that were used during the tyrannical rule of Marcos Sr. But we’re also seeing a trend here. The regime’s attempt to silence women activists who have lived through martial law,” Liwanag said.
page 12
Filipino and Filipino-allied organizations gather in San Francisco’s Union Square for a People’s State of the Nation Address on July 25, 2022.
2 August 2022NEWS
Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte won in a landslide victory, according to national election results from May 2022. But human rights activists say the election outcome is due to a corrupt system of red-tagging, misinformation campaigns, and voter disenfranchisement that upholds political dynasties. In the International Observer Mission (IOM) report conducted by ICHRP, some 1,800 vote counting machines (VCM) across the country were deemed broken or malfunctioned, with only 1,100 VCMs provided as backup. The Philippine government released a statement about the machine malfunctions one hour after the ballot deadline closed.
BY BAYAN USA, MALAYA MOVEMENT , AND THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE PHILIPPINES ( ICHRP)
Photo: [people. power. media] See PSONA,
August 2022 3ARCHIVES Front page reprint of Kalayaan International (Volume 2, Number 4) from 1972. Courtesy: San Diego State University Library, Special Collections and University Archives
4 August 2022ARCHIVES Page 6 reprint of Kalayaan International (Volume 2, Number 4) from 1972. Courtesy: San Diego State University Library, Special Collections and University Archives
August 2022 5ARCHIVES Page 7 reprint of Kalayaan International (Volume 2, Number 4) from 1972. Courtesy: San Diego State University Library, Special Collections and University Archives
6 August 2022ARCHIVES Page 16 reprint of Kalayaan International (Volume 2, Number 4) from 1972. Courtesy: San Diego State University Library, Special Collections and University Archives
Editor’s Note: Following is a speech by Tita Leila of the Pilipino Association of Workers and Immigrants (PAWIS). Tita Leila shared her story at the People’s State of the Nation Address in San Francisco on July 25, 2022.
HUWAG
BY TITA LEILA Tandaan: Ang susunod ay isang talumpati ni Tita Leila, isang miyembro ng PAWIS. Ibinahagi niya ang kanyang kwento sa PSONA sa San Francisco noong ika-25 ng Hulyo, 2022 Magandang hapon! Kumusta tayong lahat? Ako si Leila, isang caregiver at member ng Pilipino Association of Workers and Immigrants o PAWIS. Ang PAWIS ay isang grassroots organization na nakabase sa Santa Clara County, advocating for the rights and welfare of Filipino migrants and workers. Actually, first time ko’ng sumali sa PSONA at sa totoo lang, sasabihin ko talaga na hindi ako “okay.” Unang una, punong puno ng paghihirap ang migration journey ko — naging biktima ako ng human trafficking at wage theft. Naghirap bilang isang low-wage worker sa panahon ng pandemya at na-COVID pa nitong January sa taong ito. Sa kabutihang palad, I survived it kahit tatlong beses akong nag-didialysis sa isang linggo dahil sa malalang kalagayan ng kidney ko.Pangalawa, hindi ako okay kasi hindi pa rin ok ang mga pamilya at kamaganak ko sa Pinas. Walang pagbabago ang nangyayari sa buhay nila, lalo pa ngang lumala ngayon, ang taas na ng inflation! Dios ko! Kahit tuyo, 200 pesos na per kilo! At lalong bumagsak ang value ng peso sa dolyar! Napakahirap ng buhay ngayon sa Pilipinas, kulang na kulang ang sahod ng karaniwang Pilipino para makabili man lang ng pagkain. Pangatlo, sobrang-sobra ang pagkadismaya ko na nanalo si BBM at Sara. Takot akong uuwi sa Pinas. Paano na, baka ma-red tag ako dahil lang nagsasalita ako ngayon dito, diba? And dami-daming pinatay ni Duterte, hindi lang mga suspected drug users — mga aktibista, abogado, journalists, at mga kritiko. Kung hindi ka patayan, ikaw ay ikulong. Sa tingin ba natin, may pagbabago na mangyari sa panahon ni BBM? I don’t think so! Hanggang ngayon, patuloy pa rin ang pagre-red tag at pagtutugis sa mga kritiko. Paano natin mapagkatiwalaan ang lalabas sa bibig ng isang presidente na pasimuno ng fake news at disinformation at nagfifinance ng troll farms? Hindi pa nga nakapagsimulang magsilbi, lalabas na ang pelikulang “Maid in Malacanang” para ma-whitewash ang madilim na kabanata sa ating kasaysayan at sinabi pa ng mga tuta nya na “tsismis” lang ang history. Nakabalik na nga sa Malacanang ang pamilyang sobrang nagpasakit sa sambayanang Pilipino! Balik na naman si Dona Imelda at ang mga Marcos cronies sa pagpa-party sa Malacanang. Subalit paulit-ulit nating isigaw. NEVER AGAIN! NEVER FORGET!Kahit anong sasabihin ng mga followers at voters ni BBM at Sara, hindi nila maikubli ang malalang kalagayan ng ekonomiya ng Pilipinas. Almost 13 trillion pesos na ang utang ng Pilipinas sa katapusan ng pamamahala ni Digong! Anong gagawin ni BBM dito? — more taxes pa daw at mining pa more sa Mindanao! Subalit, kahit hindi ako “okay,” hindi ibig sabihin na susuko na ako. Sa mga nakaraang buwan, sa pagpapel ko bilang isang promotora ng PAWIS at puspusang nag-a-outreach sa Filipino community, marami na ring nagbabago sa aking pananaw at pagiisip. Mayroong kabuluhan ang patuloy nating pakikibaka para sa ikabubuti ng mga migranteng mangagawa at ng buong sambayanang Pilipino, gaano man ito kahirap. Kaya hindi tayo susuko! Patuloy nating ipaglaban ang katotohanan! Hindi tsismis ang kasaysayan! Bagamat, aralin natin ang kasaysayan upang mabago ang lipunan! NEVER AGAIN! NEVER FORGET! MAKIBAKA! HUWAG MATAKOT! September 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the declaration of martial law in the Philippines.
August 2022 7IMMIGRATION
Stop Historical Revisionism!
Photo: [people. power. media]
Good afternoon! How are we all? I am Leila, a caregiver and member of the Pilipino Association of Workers and Immigrants PAWIS. PAWIS is a grassroots organization based in Santa Clara County, advocating for the rights and welfare of Filipino migrants and workers. Actually, it’s my first time joining the PSONA, and truth be told, I would like to say that I am not “okay.” First of all, my migration journey was full of hardships. I became a victim of human trafficking and wage theft. I toiled as a low-wage worker during the pandemic and contracted COVID in January of this year. Fortunately, I survived even though I had dialysis three times a week due to the serious condition of my Second,kidney.I am not okay because my family and relatives in the Philippines are still not ok. Nothing has changed in their lives. It’s even worse now because the inflation is so high! My God! Even dried fish is at 200 pesos per kilo and the value of the peso fell even more against the dollar! Life is very difficult in the Philippines today; the income of the average Filipino is not enough to even buyThird,food. I am extremely disappointed that BBM and Sara Duterte won. I’m afraid to go home to the Philippines. What if I will be red-tagged just because I’m talking here now, right? Duterte killed many people, not just suspected drug users — activists, lawyers, journalists, and critics. If you are not killed, you will be Doimprisoned.wethink there will be change in BBM’s time? I don’t think so! To this day, red tagging and persecution of critics continue. How can we trust what comes out of the mouth of a president who instigates fake news and disinformation and finances troll farms? He has not even started, yet a movie, “Maid in Malacanang,” is about to be released to whitewash the dark chapter in our history, and his puppets are even saying that history is just “gossip.” The family that caused so much pain to the Filipino people has returned to Malacanang! Dona Imelda and the Marcos cronies are back to partying in Malacanang. But let’s shout again and again — NEVER AGAIN! NEVER FORGET! No matter what the followers and voters of BBM and Sara say, they cannot hide the dire state of the Philippine economy. The debt of the Philippines is almost 13 trillion pesos at the end of Digong’s administration! What will BBM do here? They are now saying more taxes and more mining in Mindanao! However, even if I’m not “okay,” it doesn’t mean I’m going to give up. In the past months, as I have been working as a representative of PAWIS and actively outreaching to the Filipino community, many things have changed in my perspective and thinking. There is meaning in our continued struggle for the betterment of migrant workers and the entire Filipino people, no matter how difficult it is. So we will not give up! Let’s keep fighting for the truth! History is not gossip! Instead, let’s study history in order to change society! NEVER AGAIN! NEVER FORGET! MAKIBAKA! MATAKOT!
Protestors honor and remember human rights defenders Lorena Barros and Zara Alvarez at a PSONA event in San Francisco on July 25, 2022. Photo: Glenn Mercado BY TITA LEILA
Fight for the Truth!
Brandon Lee (center) with his family and friends at the People’s State of the Nation Address in San Francisco, California, on July 25, 2022.
Photo: Jen Rocha
Activist Brandon Lee shares his story at the PSONA on July 25, 2022.
Official numbers report over 6,000 Filipinos were killed in police operations, not including victims of vigilantestyle killings estimated at around 30,000 by human rights groups. This brutal record has led to the international watchdog Global Witness declaring the Philippines under Duterte the deadliest in the world for defenders of human rights, the environment, and natural resources.
Photo: Jen Rocha PSONA organizer on July 25, 2022.
And although the Philippines has a new president, early signs point to continuing impunity.
After being medically evacuated back to the U.S., it horrifies me to think that the bullet fragments still lodged in my body have been funded through American tax dollars. Until now, there has been no investigation or accountability for this brazen attack, sanctioned by the Philippine government in an atmosphere of total disregard for human rights and the lives of its people. Under Duterte, the de facto policy has been to kill the poor by the thousands in the guise of a war on drugs.
The U.S. government can change this through the Philippine Human Rights Act introduced by Rep. Susan Wild, which would cut support for the military and police until the government investigates and prosecutes police and military forces who engaged in human rights violations, as well as establish much-needed protections for basic human rights in the country. Contact us at wearesfchrp@gmail.com to join the campaign!
Journey for Justice: It’s Been Three Years Since the Assassination Attempt on My Life
Photo: Jen Rocha
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. did not address human rights and accountability during his first State of the Nation Address and does not intend to rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC) after Duterte withdrew the country in 2019.
BY BRANDON LEE
8 August 2022JUSTICE
August marks three years since I was targeted for assassination by military agents in the Philippines under the Duterte administration. I was shot in front of my home in the presence of my daughter and family. The attack has left me scarred, nearly dying from eight cardiac arrests, and now permanently paralyzed without the use of my legs or my hands.
In addition, Marcos has yet to announce new appointees for the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) en banc, critically important to an independent investigation of the thousands killed under Duterte’s flagship program. Ironically, the CHR was originally established under the 1987 Philippine Constitution in response to the crimes and atrocities committed during his father’s Martial Law. Far from uninvolved, the U.S. government has enabled the brutality and injustices in the Philippines by offering over $2.4 billion American tax dollars in military aid, including weapons and firearms, during Duterte’s regime.
Cely Corpuz from the Northern California Pilipinx American Student Alliance on July 25, 2022. Photo: Jen Rocha
Marcos Jr. Returns to Malacañang Palace, the Fight for National Democracy Continues
BY PLI CROFTON AND MEGAN MURPHY
Fascism in the Philippines has entered a new and even harsher phase. As Filipinos living in the belly of the beast, the United States, we hold the People’s State of the Nation Address (PSONA) in response to the bogus claims that Marcos Jr. and the many puppet presidents before him spew out during their state of the nation addresses. We hold these actions as a reminder that we are the masses and can confront the oppressors head-on. We must continue to organize, continue to mobilize, and continue to build a mass movement dedicated to tackling root problems that plague the Filipino people!
In response, peasants and workers are leading the fight against fascism with the support of student youth and the middle class. But this struggle is not unique to the Philippines. The United States has extended its imperialist arms worldwide and destabilized tens if not hundreds of nations through colonization. International solidarity is critical in furthering the movement for liberation and justice across the world, for the mass fight against fascism is both a class and international struggle.
August 2022 9OPINION
PSONA is just one step in the movement. If you want to help build a better future, we encourage you to look for organizations in your area such as BAYAN, GABRIELA, Malaya Movement, ICHRP, or the International League of Peoples’ ContinueStruggle. the fight, remember martial law, and reject the U.S.-Marcos II regime! Fight for National Democracy in the Philippines!
Instead, they parroted the lies of their families, engaging in a massive disinformation campaign, aided by western corporations and institutions such as Facebook, Google, and Cambridge Analytica, to rewrite their histories and buyMarcosvotes. Jr. appointed himself Secretary of Agriculture and now heads a $1.78 billion fund meant to repay what his family stole from coconut farmers during martial law. Sara Duterte, who was appointed Secretary of Education, aims to militarize Philippine society through ROTC and erase the atrocities of her predecessors. Prompt congratulations from President Joe Biden and Secretary Antony Blinken signal another chapter of U.S. domination over a puppet government in the Philippines.
During his 21-year reign of terror, Marcos Sr. and his cronies stole over $10 billion from the Filipino people, many of whom lived on average less than $2 per day by the time he left office. According to journalist Raissa Robles, the government murdered more than 3,200 people and tortured about 40,000 during the Marcos years for speaking out against the corrupt, anti-people, and antidemocratic regime. The People Power Revolution ousted the Marcos family, who fled to the United States in 1986.
What we see now with the new Marcos-Duterte tandem is the continuation of vicious, fascist tactics and a complete denial, whitewashing, and revision of their families’ past crimes. The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) conducted an independent survey of the 2022 election and observed massive fraud, vote buying, faulty electronic voting machines, large-scale red-tagging of activists and political opponents, media manipulation, and electionrelated violations of human rights. Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte campaigned with an empty platform that failed to address the worsening economic conditions in the country, the rising cost of oil, sinking wages, or even the COVID-19 pandemic.
The National Democratic Movement in the Philippines is this mass movement. Committed to eradicating U.S. imperialism, this movement fights for true independence, defends the people as the makers of history, and demands that industry and agriculture be self-sufficient and serve the starving masses.
An internal sickness rooted in bureaucrat capitalism plagues the Philippines. Those in the top one percent continue to rule the country like a business, separate and detached from the wants, needs, and will of the people.
Feudalism furthers the exploitation of workers and denies the mass majority of peasant farmers ownership of their land or access to modern tools. The United States plays a role in these injustices, viewing the Philippines as a place of profit and militaristic advantage against China. The only solution to the country’s problems is revolutionary armed struggle. From centuries-long resistance during Spanish colonization to the ousting of two puppet dictators in power, the revolutionary history against the ruling classes of the Philippines and the United States has shown time and time again that the people are the true makers of history. U.S. officials not only backed the Marcos Sr. dictatorship but have helped bleed the Philippines and its people dry of resources, opportunities, and rights.
Anew yet familiar face is back in Malacañang Palace. In June, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was sworn in as the 17th President of the Philippines, stepping into the same position his father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., acquired from 1965 to 1986.
But now, 36 years later, the Marcos dynasty returns, with Marcos Jr. as president and Sara Duterte, daughter of outgoing president Rodrigo Duterte, as vice president. Like Marcos Jr., Sara Duterte refuses to acknowledge or apologize for the massive human rights violations under her father’s presidency. Rodrigo Duterte’s rule for the last six years was filled with broken promises. Twofaced with bloodstained teeth, Rodrigo Duterte presented himself as a candidate of peace, only to unleash his terror through a “war on drugs” that killed over 30,000 people, mainly those in poor urban communities. His administration and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) maintained a brutal counter-insurgency campaign funded by the United States through a $2.4 billion arms deal. Under this campaign, government officials established the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which has actively targeted organizations and individuals struggling for their fundamental rights, livelihood, and trueTheindependence.red-tagging of these organizations has resulted in ongoing and increased surveillance, restrictions on material support for food pantries and disaster funds, and targeted attacks on human rights defenders, including Chinese American activist Brandon Lee who survived a failed assassination attempt by the AFP in 2019.
LAYOUT DESIGN Casey Ticsay WRITERS Abigail Atienza Hannah Ballesteros Pli
Dear Mahalaya readers, Violence against Asian Americans, while not new in the nation’s history, only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
GRAPHIC DESIGN jomari geronimo *** How people of Filipino heritage in the diaspora identify themselves has evolved over the years — Pinoy, Pinay, Pilipino, Pilipina, Pilipin@, Pin@y, Filipino, Filipina, Filipinx. Thus, the terms we publish may be used interchangeably and will vary depending on article content or a speaker’s personal experience. *** Follow @mahalayasf on Facebook, Instagram, and linktr.ee/mahalayasfTwitter. Mahalaya is a community newspaper founded by Casey Ticsay in 2022. Powered by a staff of dedicated volunteers, this monthly publication centers Filipinx voices and experiences in and beyond the Bay Area. Website coming soon in October 2022!
The Next Generation of Community Journalists and Activists is Here
TRANSLATORS Dr. Maharaj Desai Bernard James Remollino
Youth leaders and student activists rally outside the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco on July 25, 2022. Photo: Jen Rocha
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Casey Ticsay MANAGING EDITOR Kami Yamamoto
RhoelMalayaJoshuaCroftonDinerosBrandonLeeTitaLeilaMovementMeganMurphyPauloParagasNickelRiveraLorilleeDelRosario
PHOTOGRAPHERS Romeo H. Glenn Mercado Jen Rocha [people. power. media]
He writes so that this will be a world of mutual cooperation, mutual protection, mutual love; so that darkness, ignorance, brutality, exploitation of man by another, and deceit will be purged from the face of theGroundedearth.” in solidarity journalism and critical kapwa, Mahalaya embodies an alternative practice of journalism that strives to not only advocate for the rights, safety, and well-being of Filipinx but to continue to build and strengthen the Asian American social justice movement of previous generations. Let us share our stories to celebrate, heal, and above all, empower one another to engage in collective liberation and activism. In solidarity and community, Casey Ticsay Editor-in-Chief, Mahalaya
This violence took many forms: Donald Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric that fueled xenophobic and anti-Asian sentiments, verbal harassment and physical assaults on Asian elders, mass deportations of Southeast Asian refugees under the Biden administration, the disproportionate number of COVID-related deaths among Filipino American healthcare professionals, and the Atlanta-area shootings in March 2021 that killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent. As awareness about the impacts and pervasiveness of anti-Asian racism grew, so did Asian American activism and the movement to build collective political power with other communities of color. Asian American organizers held nationwide marches, rallies, and vigils to support directly impacted people, memorialize victims, and condemn the racialized violence against Asian Americans. Students and educators advocated for ethnic studies courses and school curriculum that amplifies Asian American history. Immigrant rights coalitions mobilized to keep families together and bring an end to the mass incarceration, immigration detention, and deportation of Black and brown community members. Local organizations launched mutual aid programs to address food and housing insecurity in underserved communities. While politicians applauded the passage of the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act, Asian American and Pacific Islander advocacy groups resisted, demanding more community-based solutions rather than symbolic measures that only maintain police and state violence and perpetuate anti-Blackness.AsianAmerican activism, however, is not as visible in mainstream media despite taking place over many decades. Unethical approaches to storytelling and traditional notions of objectivity that dominate the U.S. mediascape continue to shape public discourse around the diverse experiences and perspectives of Asian Americans. But journalists of color, including Filipinos, have long challenged the biased reporting, misrepresentations, and stereotypical depictions of their communities.Asanew generation of journalists based in the United States, we speak from the lens of Filipinx in the diaspora and recognize our shared responsibility to uphold the truth and organize in the face of injustice. We continue the legacy and mission of our ancestors who — undeterred by threats of censorship, red-tagging, and intimidation — used journalism to give voice to the moral and political struggle of the Filipino and Filipino American people who had long been denied their rights in the Philippines and the United States. We are guided by the words of author and labor organizer Carlos“AndBulosan:theseare times that demand of the writer to declare his positive stand – his supreme sacrifice – on the question of war or peace, life or death. The writer who sides with and gives his voice to democracy and progress is a real writer because he writes to protect man and restore his dignity.
10 August 2022EDITORIAL
Honoring the 1986 People Power Revolution
August 2022 11OPINION
An alumnus of San Francisco State University, Oakes advocated for Indigenous sovereignty and against this settler-slaver nation. We remember and honor his work as we organize to defend the ancestral territories of the Lumad — Indigenous people in the southern Mindanao region of the Philippines — against corporate plunder andKalayaanmilitarization.International provided comprehensive political and educational materials on the Philippine situation. From the role of U.S. imperialism in Philippine society dating back to the Spanish-American War to the “special privileges” allotted to corporate capitalists, readers learned how repression and destabilization in the Philippines protect U.S. military and economic interests.
BY RHOEL PAULO PARAGA S
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - FEBRUARY 23: People block the pro-Marcos government troops at the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) after the presidential election on February 23, 1986 in Manila, Philippines. (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)
The publication also highlighted the concerns and work of national chapter organizations in the United States, frequently printing updates around Filipino American-led symposiums, actions, and mutual aid efforts in support of the revolutionary armed struggle in theAsPhilippines.oneeditorial explains, Filipinos in the United States have the responsibility as well as “the RELATIVE assurance of civil liberties that enable us to voice our protest openly and demonstrate legally.”
It’s been 36 years since Filipinos during the People Power Revolution marched along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue to bring an end to the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. The 1986 revolution, also known as EDSA, remains a historical movement in Philippine history that showed the international community the strength and resolve of the Filipino masses against corruption and injustice in the country. Marcos Sr. maintained martial law from 1972 to 1986 to silence anyone deemed critical of his administration. Thousands of civilians – including students, journalists, and activists – were arrested, tortured, killed, or disappeared during his presidency. Others went into hiding, forced to organize and build the People Power movement from underground. Through numerous nationwide marches and rallies, Filipinos ousted Marcos Sr. in February 1986. With the help of the U.S. government, Marcos Sr. and his family fled to Hawaii until they could return to the Philippines in 1991. EDSA became a symbol of hope that marked a new era of true freedom and democracy. The Filipino people ousted a dictator, but unjust systems continued to dictate Philippine politics and society long after the revolution. Today, U.S. imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat capitalism remain. Foreign interests influence public policies, workers suffer from economic exploitation, and many are forced to migrate overseas in search of work. With Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as president, historical revisionism and disinformation have only worsened. The legacy and spirit of EDSA, however, live on. Annual rallies like the People’s State of the Nation Address (PSONA) are crucial in voicing the concerns of the Filipino masses and their desire for true democracy in the Philippines. Like EDSA, the PSONA is not a mere moment but a movement led by the people for the people. As Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the diaspora, we must continue the fight, learn our history, and demand change.
Oakes was a Native American organizer who led the Occupation of Alcatraz and the fight against settler colonialism, which, through a brutal genocide beginning in 1492, continues to seize and occupy land from Indigenous peoples across the United States.
A Look Back on Kalayaan International, Voice of Progressive Filipinos in the United States
September marks the 25th anniversary of the San Francisco State University chapter of the League of Filipino Students and the 50th anniversary of the declaration of martial law in the Philippines. In observance of LFS-SFSU’s revolutionary tradition and response to the new Marcos-Duterte regime, we reflect on an October 1972 issue of Kalayaan International published one month after Ferdinand Marcos declared martialKalayaanlaw.
International, which ran from 1971 to 1973, was a San Francisco-based Pilipino national democratic newspaper of Kalayaan Collective. Kalayaan Collective later formed Katipunan ng mga Demokratikong Pilipino (KDP), also known as the Union of Democratic Filipinos, and launched the newspaper Ang Katipunan in Oakland. Writers of Kalayaan International covered international issues under an anti-racist and antiimperialist lens, emphasizing in several articles that the struggle in Vietnam, for example, is “integrally linked with oppression and exploitation of working people in the U.S. and of Third World people around the world.”
BY LEAGUE OF FILIPINO STUDENTS, SF STATE CHAPTER
They also featured commentary on local issues, including the murder of Richard Oakes on September 20, 1972.
LFS-SFSU stands on the shoulders of working class Filipino youth and students whose grassroots activism and anti-imperialist perspectives guide us through this movement, particularly in a period of rising suppression, counter-insurgency tactics, and disinformation. It is our duty to organize and mobilize against fascist “leaders” who loot the Philippines and starve the Filipino people for the sake of a foreign master. Join us in the fight to achieve genuine democracy in the Philippines!
You Will Not Take My Name
Nomentmatter the red-tags or the surveillance I will continue to rise with defiance to seek out your weakness Because you see this election fraud you committed Is a reflection Of your incompetence Your unwillingness to provide And this will not go unnoticed The masa will see the visible contradictions In which the US steers so clearly This next ruling will be your downfall It will create the right conditions To ignite within us all A worker led movement And you will find yourself cornered Alone with no first world interference Because we Filipinos know a thing or two of a revolution
You will not take my name
Spanish colonization With US imperialism No honeymoon phase to sway us Only history beginning to unravel Dynasties vying for power Boiling point, eventually toppling over Marcos and Duterte if I were you I would hesitate the next time you address the country Just like the past, but hope fully with new victories, new lessons You, the enemy, the ruling class, the reactionary govern Willmentbe left overthrown- even ousted Disintegrated and burned into few remnants As workers and peasants come together To build a new society towards socialism Brandon Lee, a Chinese American activist and community journalist from San Francisco, lived and worked in the Philippines since 2010, advocating for the defense and protection of Indigenous land and rights in the Cordilleras. In August 2019, Lee was shot in an assassination attempt by the Philippine government and was airlifted back to the Bay Area two months later.
BY ABIGAIL ATIENZA
The thoughts of a filipina-american who doesn’t know where home is don’t let these raven black locs of hair deceive you i didn’t come from the motherland i didn’t come from the island of which my people fought for i came from the womb of a woman who came to america at the age of 10 who had to see her older brother get deported over a little weed who had to move out of her parent’s house to live in her older sister’s in law’s house to go to college which led her to meet a young man who worked in the restaurant connected to the house which then led to me but do not let my light pale skin deceive you i got that filipino island type in my blood 100% pinay and i say that shit with pride but listen the day i die make sure my flag flys high while im being buried 6 ft down because i know my roots are deeper than the graves my colonizers dug for my people my roots began at the indigenous pinoys who didnt know of machismo where the community was strong and matriarchal where woman ran shit and little girls weren’t told to learn how to cook and clean to find a husband then one day in 1521 a bastard named ferdinand magellan stripped my people of my history stripped them of their beliefs stripped me of my power this is why i wear my 4 colors with pride but i put that red, white, and blue to the side because i was not meant to be here thinking about back home even thought i wasnt born there thinking of all the memories i had on the land my parents grew up on breathing the air that my ancestors once breathed i love my culture love my roots but back home isn’t the government my ancestors wanted and living on the colonizer land doesn’t do any justice where do i belong where do i fit not knowing how to speak fluent tagalog feels like a betrayal because i know fluent english i dont want to call the colonizer land home but i cant call my country my home either because my country is controlled my political bullies my people are suffering what do i do where do i fit where do i fit
PSONA, from page 2
You will not take my face Nor my life My livelihood Or my Becausecommunityattheend of the day my life belongs to the move
“It’s sad to say that I am one of the lucky few who made it out alive — where 30,000 were killed under the drug war, and countless hundreds of political activists lost their lives. What the Philippines government, military, and police have done is ruin families,” Lee said. Lee explained that the continuing attacks on activists and disinformation would only prolong justice for his case. He has requested a sitdown meeting with the Philippine Consul General to review the status of the investigation on the attempted assassination but has repeatedly been denied. Lee’s daughter, Jesse, shared her reflections after having witnessed the attempted assassination at a young age.“When our ancestors planted the first seeds of our family trees, they wouldn’t want it to be like this. They wouldn’t want history to keep on repeating itself. This community, this forest, is being poisoned and corrupted with lies. This poison has been spreading through the soil for too long. My dad is being ignored when all we want is for [the Philippine government] to say sorry and tell the truth,” Jesse said. In 2020, the United States approved a $2 billion worth arms deal with the Philippines that included weaponry such as attack helicopters, missiles, and rocket launchers, all while COVID-19 was wreaking havoc across both countries. The Philippines had the second highest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia in 2021, with thousands of Filipinos dying due to hospitals reaching full capacity. According to PSONA speakers, the Philippine government chose to prioritize its military over creating health-oriented solutions to the ongoing pandemic.LisaRofel from Jewish Voices for Peace voiced her support for the Philippine Human Rights Act (PHRA), which currently has 33 co-sponsors. The PHRA would prohibit U.S. federal funds from assisting the Philippine police or military until the government investigates and prosecutes members of its forces who have committed human rights violations. The Act would also require the Philippine government to withdraw its military from domestic policing activities and establish safeguards to protect the rights and welfare of journalists and civil societyVouletteactivists.ofthe Palestinian Youth Movement joined
12 August 2022
Rofel in highlighting the parallels between former Philippines president Duterte and former Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, who the United States backed economically and politically. Voulette also pointed to the joint military operations between the PNP and Israeli Defense Force (IDF) in which Israel exports weapons and military training to the Philippines, equipping the PNP with violent tactics that IDF soldiers use to repress the Palestinian people. Tita Leila, a caregiver and member of the Pilipino Association of Workers and Immigrants, shared her insight as an overseas Filipino worker. Leila is concerned for her family in the Philippines amidst worsening living conditions and rising costs of basic needs under the new MarcosAbbeyadministration.Irodistan,representing the Filipino alliance BAYAN Northern California, ended the lineup of PSONA speakers emphasizing the need to continue grassroots organizing alongside the Filipino people. “Even here in the belly of the beast, we will not back down, we will not be quiet, and we will not go gently. We will continue to immerse ourselves amongst the people and learn from them their struggles and solutions,” Irodistan said. “Unlike Marcos, who speaks vaguely and sets goals with no plans to achieve them, our organizations do the work of understanding people’s issues.”
thePOETRYthoughts of a filipino american who doesn’t know where home is
BY NICKEL RIVERA
As a politics student in America — in the diaspora — I feel hopeless. What am I to do? Who am I to be angry? My people are dying and Mother Earth warms my feet in rage. My extended family is cut off by the politicians that are fueled by corruption, greed, and capitalism. A cyclical system that was established decades ago laughs in the face of a 20-year-old college student trying to uproot it. We’ve been made puppets strung along by Uncle Sam who is no Tito of mine. Filipino-American at heart, but Filipino first. I feel the fire lit by Mother Earth at the bottoms of my feet and the energy of my pamilya surrounding me. We are one people, one community, one Philippines against the institution.
Lola Lucing
Photo: Jen Rocha
One day like this one; one day like the beginning of the People Power Revolution on February 22, 1986; our Mother Earth’s energy webbing our shared rage into one.
Joshua Dineros stands outside the Philippines Consulate in San Francisco on July 25, 2022.
My safety net is stronger because of the people around me. An infinite number of webs that spider together to create a mosaic of hope. We fight like seeds from compost; buried and replanted to blossom one day.
I run uphill from the BART station to join my people assembled on Sutter Street in San Francisco. I leave behind my parents in Southern California; they’re the only support system I’ve known, my last strand of a safety net that I’ve webbed for myself. I am bound to my people in power by the roots of our ancestors and connected together by Mother Earth.
One hour later — I shed my first tear — whisked away by the summer wind. My hurt and anger against the institution that recycles the same dirty rhetoric filled with unkept promises to our people.
August 2022 13POETRY
BY HANNAH BALLESTEROS lola served on familiar ground, mama says i could not do it repented and cried out to God desperate for a body that could release lola of her recognitionburden of this, once ever familiar i beg to touch its fruit toforestsee emerald green amidstforest the gray painted behind the mountains 7000 miles, seems a daunting task, yet with every stride i feel the hands of those before guide the sails, tame the seas, calm the air, ask the storm to wait i’ll find lola again knowing my history and their grasp on my country my blood rises — and I yell thousands of years, they stained our clothes red and thousands more, take up the kalis, iták, bunéng, binangon, parang again and again weaving underneath the soil; her and others before they are the root of the trees in every breath, in every strike, in every stride, in every run in every beat, in every wound, in every scar, in every — the mountains, among them i will find her again b.
Courtesy: Hannah Ballesteros
One Filipino Rage BY JOSHUA DINEROS
14 August 2022ANNOUNCEMENTS
BY LORILLEE DEL ROSARIO
She found answers and community with BAYAN, which organizes and mobilizes Filipinos in the United States for the cause of national democracy in the Philippines. Caliboso learned about Philippine history, society, and her family’s migration story.
“As Filipino Americans, we’re taught to acclimate. I didn’t connect with Filipino culture growing up in a way that resonated with me because I didn’t know its history, especially how the country’s economic conditions and culture relate to why my family immigrated here,” Caliboso said.
“Music and art have always served to unite, educate, and motivate social change throughout history,” Dickson said. “As cultural workers, our job is to reflect the times and inspire change by creating art that connects with ordinary people and motivates them to build a betterBootlegworld.”Orchestra released its debut album MAKIBAKA in August 2021 — the title derives from “Makibaka, huwag matakot,” a revolutionary chant in the Philippines that means “dare to struggle, don’t be afraid.” The album reflects the duality of their personal healing journeys as they mobilize and serve the people in the growing anti-imperialist and antifascist“We’removement.complex human beings when we enter spaces or interact with anyone. We’re also bringing our own baggage and contradictions,” Caliboso said. “For us, makibaka means having the patience, compassion, and courage to create a new world, which often requires us to lean into the difficult work of facing our own contradictions as we unlearn the ways we might inadvertently perpetuate the toxic culture of capitalism.”
Caliboso works in healthcare as a consultant in data analytics and data science for hospitals.
As a band of cultural workers, Bootleg Orchestra produces electronic soul music that not only reflects the conditions of society but calls on listeners to be creators of change through community-based action.
Acosta says the journey can often feel overwhelming, but folks are not alone because the work takes a community.
“Everybody has a role. We can take incremental steps to educate and get to a point where you’re comfortable going to meetings, rallies, and events or writing a letter to your congressperson. There are so many different and unique ways we can show up,” Acosta said. In July, Bootleg Orchestra performed “Carry on the Fight” outside the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles for a People’s State of the Nation Address, an annual demonstration that centers the voices and demands of the Filipino masses:“Revolution for me and you, carry on the fight/Can’t have freedom without the truth, we must not be blind/My people fight strong for liberation, our love is not a crime/Our power is stronger than any gun, when fighting for what’s right.”
“I’m fortunate that my family politicized me. When I was young, my dad was very conscious and aware of what it meant to grow up brown and be Mexican in Long Beach,” Acosta said.
Filipinos have been carrying on the fight across the generations, from resisting Spanish colonization, Japanese occupation, and the continued presence of U.S. imperialists to organizing against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and, more recently, the new MarcosDuterte administration. The centurieslong fight for liberation and genuine democracy in the Philippines is a shared struggle among many other communities of color.“From Palestine to the Philippines, stop the U.S. war machine” has become a central chant at PSONA rallies throughout the United States. Under the guise of humanitarian aid, American tax dollars continue to fund military operations, training, and state-sanctioned violence abroad.
“The effects of U.S. imperialism are not unique to the Philippines. Many people throughout the world share this same history,” Dickson said. “We believe it’s important to recognize the shared struggle and seek to unite under a common banner of power by the people, for the people.
The musical trio — composed of vocalist and trumpet player Vanessa Acosta, bass player Menchie Caliboso, and guitarist Andrew Dickson — stays true to the meaning behind the “Orchestra” name. Having shared the stage with Ruby Ibarra, Tiffany Gouche, Sylvan Esso and Gallant, and Talib Kweli, they value the collaborative process with artists whose songwriting and music are also informed by their lived experiences in the community.
“I found comfort in research, data, and the scientific method because it’s a clear path of exploring the unknown,” Caliboso said. “I initially pursued this route because it was a time when I was becoming more politicized and cognizant of economic and health inequities. I wanted to have this skill set as an additional tool to find solutions.”
“Once I learned that perspective, I became politicized in a way where I felt like there could be justice for Filipinos and justice for every community impacted by U.S. imperialism,” she said.
Originally from Canada, Dickson’s work in social justice initiatives, legal education, and advocacy organizations began while attending law school.
As a student, he volunteered with legal aid clinics assisting clients with various issues ranging from housing rights, employment, administrative law, and child custody disputes. He began practicing law, relocated to the United States in 2016, and joined the Philippines-U.S. Solidarity Organization (PUSO) after meeting Acosta and Caliboso in late 2018. The rest is history.
“We want to continue to advocate for a more just and equitable society both here in the U.S. and abroad,” Dickson said. “We all have a role to play in this project, and we want to continue trying to inspire our listeners with our lyrics and music to make change happen.”
August 2022 15ARTS & CULTURE
(Left to right) Andrew Dickson (producer/guitarist) Menchie Caliboso (producer/bassist), and Vanessa Acosta (vocals/trumpet).
Bootleg Orchestra Talks Carrying on the Fight, Social Justice, and Latest Album, MAKIBAKA
Photo: Romeo H.
Caliboso had a different journey toward activism.
As Bootleg Orchestra alludes to in “If We Ever Get There,” the time for radical change is now. They call on listeners to “let the music play, be an organizer/ Educate, agitate, a catalyzer.”
The theme of resistance and the spirit of community building emerge throughout Bootleg Orchestra’s album. Their song “War” critiques the U.S. military-industrial complex and how the ruling elite exploits and marginalizes low-income and working-class people for personal gain: “Calling on the poor, poor/Fight their dirty wars/Hands were made to serve a purpose/Tell us what’s your’s?” Bootleg Orchestra serves many purposes beyond music. Outside the recording studio, Acosta works as a program coordinator for litter abatement programs, offering clean-ups and free tools for businesses to ensure litter-free properties. She is also a clinical assistant and herbalist for a local acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist in Long Beach. Grounding herself in her ancestors’ teachings has taught her to connect with her truth, especially as an artist. “Being an artist is really allowing ourselves to examine and criticize our thoughts and daily experiences,” Acosta said. “I first and foremost see myself as a spiritual person on a mission rooted in love and faith.” As a child, Acosta was encouraged to celebrate her family roots. Her parents were organizers in the 1970s with the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MECHA), a student-led organization that seeks to empower Chicana/o/x communities through higher education and political activism.
16 August 2022 Design: jomari geronimo (they/them)
