How should one of the country’s most significant political papers be understood by revolutionaries and observers alike?
By Raymund B. Villanueva
THE COMMUNIST PARTY of the Philippines (CPP) celebrated its 57th founding anniversary last Friday, December 26. To members and observers, the day is marked by the issuance of the Party’s anniversary statement. In more than half a century, the yearly report had been one of the most important and much awaited political papers in the country.
Before the internet, CPP statements may take days (if not weeks), to reach eager readers through through secretly-distributed copies of the CPP’s newsletter Ang Bayan. In the last two decades however, the statements have been email blasted and posted on websites, enabling people to read them on the actual date of the anniversary. The internet has also enabled journalists to report on the CPP statement with timeliness and ease. This year, it even made it possible for an online broadcast and reading of the statement by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) International Office for CPP allies in the Philippines and abroad.
CPP anniversary statements are originally issued in Filipino and English. These are immediately translated to major regional languages such as Ilokano, Cebuano and Ilonggo. The 2025 statement in Filipino is 12,391 words and 17 pages long in PDF (portable document format).
The Party’s anniversary statements go as far back as the CPP’s first birthday. Founded on Mao Tse Tung’s own birth anniversary in 1968, it immediately established its official newsletter Ang Bayan on International Labor Day in 1969. The underground newsletter published the first anniversary statement in its January 15, 1970 issue and has, since then, been tasked to publish the annual statement of the Party.
The CPP said its anniversary statements are by the Party’s Central Committee (CC). The initial drafts are usually prepared two weeks before December 26 by the CC Chair or by a designated drafting committee or CC member. The draft is circulated among CC members who make their comments and suggestions. These are sent back to the CC chair who prepares the final draft, which is then finalized by the executive committee.
Parts of the statement
Regular readers of recent CPP anniversary statements know their structures by heart. It typically contains introductory paragraphs that serve as a concise summary of the entire declaration. It usually begins by greeting its members to express the Party leadership’s solidarity with members, revolutionary forces and the people. This part also pays tributes to martyrs and heroes of the past year. This year, it mentioned the late National Democratic Front of Philippines Negotiating Panel chairperson Luis Jalandoni and New People’s Army (NPA) cadre Maria Malaya (Myrna Sularte) as well as People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army of India commander Madvi Hidma who have either died of illness or assassination by State forces. “This has become sort of a tradition, although there is really no set rule how the introduction should be crafted,” the CPP told Kodao.
The body of the statements is then divided into three regular parts: international situation, national situation, and organizational updates-conclusion. The CPP said the subdivision is a logical presentation of the objective global and domestic conditions and the situation of the Party and the revolutionary movement. “This is to clarify or explain the events of the past year and the prospects for the next,” it said.
The section on the international situation largely lays out a broad analysis of the state of the international capitalist system in order to frame an understanding of the various economic and political conflicts in the world. Specifically, it focuses on the capitalist crisis of overproduction, a key concept of in Marxist political economy, as backdrop of intensifying inter-imperialist conflicts, the CPP explains.
The chapter on the national situation typically elaborates on the economic and political crisis of the ruling semicolonial and semifeudal system, showing that it is in a state of chronic or permanent crisis. It focuses on the policies of the ruling puppet and fascist regime which only exacerbates the crisis and inflicts more suffering on the Filipino people. “It lays out the logic and validity of waging a national democratic revolution,” CPP said.
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The concluding portion of the statement is delivered either in one or two distinct parts. It identifies the situation of the Party and revolutionary movement, highlighting both its strengths and weaknesses. Based on its assessment, the Party then identifies its urgent tasks and all revolutionary forces in the coming years.
Important ideological tool
The CPP said its CC’s yearly statement is very important as it provides the ideological, political and organizational guidance to every Party committee and member as well as the entire national democratic movement. “Party units around the country eagerly await the statement for them to carefully read and study. It raises their revolutionary consciousness and helps hone their Marxist-Leninist-Maoist analysis,” it said.
It added that units of the NPA find occasion to move to a location where there are internet signals so they can get download a copy from the CPP website. The statement gives them an overall view from which they can situate themselves and forge a plan for the next year.
The Party added its anniversary statement is also awaited and closely read by revolutionary forces around the world who draw inspiration and guidance from the CPP and the Philippine revolution, one of the longest-running and continuing armed struggles in the world today.
The CPP is entering into the third year of its third rectification movement and 2025’s anniversary statement has become even more important as it provides ideological, political and organizational guidance, it said. “The anniversary statements are a guide to action for every member and Party committees as they carry out criticism and self-criticism, and as they sum-up their experiences,” the CPP said.
Most significant
The Party said its annual statement has become a most significant political paper on the Philippines as it represents the viewpoint of the leading force in the Philippine revolution.
“The CC’s statement is one of the most significant political article or declaration in the Philippines. It can be compared (or more precisely, contrasted) with the GRP’s (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) SONA (State of the Nation Address), in that the SONA presents the views and analysis of the ruling exploiting classes, while the CC anniversary statement presents the views of the exploited and oppressed classes,” it said.
The CPP said that readers of its statement, Party members or not, must appreciate how the CC points to how various events are situated in the scientific framework of analysis, what information are important or critical in defining their current situation. The statement helps readers get picture of the real situation, especially for people who are caught in the endless stream of data and information on the internet.
“Party members should carefully study the statement and try to imbibe the dialectical and historical materialist methods used in the analysis, in order to help them tackle the big and small issues they face in their everyday work,” the CPP concluded. #