Bulatlat News
By MAVY AVILA
Bulatlat.com
CEBU CITY – As Ferdinand Marcos Jr. brandished his alleged successes in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), Cebuanos expressed their disgust at the increasing burden the ordinary Filipino suffered in the last two years.
At the People’s Forum at the Redemptorist Church last July 18, farmers, workers, jeepney drivers, human rights defenders, development workers, youth and students, urban poor, women, and members of the religious sector pointed out that the election promises of Marcos Jr. remain far from reach even after two years in office.
For them, what the ordinary Filipino experienced was increasing poverty, joblessness, and harassment as they continue to unload their frustrations on the worsening economic and social condition of the country.
Heightened aggression
Nick Abasolo, chairperson of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Cebu, highlighted the alarming increase in rice prices, which retail at around P60/kilo—three times the P20 promised by Marcos during his campaign.
Farmers received little to no support amid the food crisis, said Abasolo.
In his SONA, Marcos acknowledged the increase in the price of rice but claimed that his administration provided assistance to local farmers.
“What Bongbong Marcos did was rice importation, which for us farmers is a band-aid solution. This is a big blow to us Filipinos as an agricultural country,” he said in Cebuano.
Abasolo revealed that their situation gets worse as farmers in Cebu continue to face developmental aggression resulting in food insecurity for farmers and even fisherfolk.
“Instead for farmers and fisherfolk to sustain their livelihood, they use the land for residential, commercial, quarry, mining, especially reclamations. In Minglanilla alone, they’re implementing a 100-hectare reclamation in Barangay Calajo-an,” Abasolo said in Cebuano.
Abasolo said that communities are resisting the project, but leaders and environmental groups asserting protection of the seas and mountains are met with aggression, especially by red-tagging.
“Leaders are often being tailed by soldiers, even up to their houses,” Abasolo said, pointing out that even development workers helping farming and fisherfolk communities through livelihood programs are not spared. Because of this, some NGOs are forced to close some of their programs at the expense of the communities they are helping.
Macy Cresencio, from Assert Development Initiatives, recalled that 27 individuals associated with Community Empowerment Resource Network, Inc. (CERNET) were accused of violating the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.
“The existence of NGO itself is political as it provides support (where) the government failed to deliver,” Cresencio said.
Since 2001, CERNET has been providing support for marginalized sectors through legal assistance and livelihood programs. The fishing and farming communities in Minglanilla benefited from these programs.
Cresencio said that attacks on CERNET has been consistent, the latest of which is the abduction of its staff, Dyan Gumanao and husband, Armand Dayuha. They were disappeared inside the port of Cebu in January 2023. They were surfaced days later.
“Marcos Jr. targets progressive NGOs that provide services to marginalized sectors, those that provide studies, seminars that can give power to organizations that are facing serious battles with demolition, land grabbing, even for workers who have experienced layoffs and contractualization,” Cresencio said.
Worsening situation across sectors
In urban poor communities, the threat of demolitions without proper relocation continues to worsen.
Bebe Allere of Cebu Urban Poor Women’s League revealed that there were even instances where demolitions continued even though there were newborn babies inside the house.
“Even if there are sick people, they will push through with the demolition because they will build condominiums. That’s how cruel our government is,” Allere said, lamenting the excuse they hear of urban poor dwellers as “lacks discipline, illegal settlers, and squatters.”
The privatization of the Carbon Market in Cebu resulted in increased rent and necessities prices, making them unaffordable for urban poor communities, according to Allere, adding, “We don’t have a constant job. We have no money. And even when we have a job, the salaries are often very low.”
Allere recalled that before the privatization, vendors would pay P30/day for them to display a banyera (tub) of fish. Now, they are made to pay P240.
For the transport sector, Greg Perez of PISTON Cebu said they continue to face the troubles of the Public Utility Vehicles (PUV) Modernization Program which local drivers and small operators can’t afford.
“The administration of Bongbong Marcos has failed to respond to the demands of the sector, especially the mass transportation system in the Philippines that should be developed for all commuters,” he said.
Operators and drivers were expected to surrender their individual franchises for consolidation into a Fleet Management System under the PUV Modernization Program. They are also required to buy modern minibuses for them to continue to operate, costing P2.8 million per unit.
“They continue to massacre the sector, especially in the matter of the continued phaseout of jeeps in our streets, replacing them with ‘modern vehicles’ that are not from the Philippines,” said Perez.
In November last year, PISTON Cebu and other transport groups participated in a nationwide protest action against the proposed modernization. Now, they continue to face job insecurity as the expensive PUV Modernization Program pushes through.
On top of the jeepney phaseout, there is also the issue of continuing rising prices of fuel. “On the issue of oil price hike, Marcos did nothing,” Perez recounted.
Meanwhile, for the labor sector, the demand of the workers is “plain and simple: P1,200 livable wage and a regular job,” according to Howell Villacrucis of Alyansa sa Mga Mamumuo sa Sugbo Kilusang Mayo Uno.
“And Marcos did not resolve these matters,” Villacrucis said.
For youth and student leader Cleisteil Cimafranca of the National Union of Students in the Philippines (NUSP) Cebu, the Marcos-Duterte administration, especially Sara Duterte being the then Secretary of Education, failed to address the education crisis and constant tuition fee.
Cimafranca also revealed that some students are on the receiving end of threats and attacks.
“In the last few weeks, members of the Philippine Army visited the homes of some members of the Kabataan Partylist where they were threatened,” said Cimafranca.
Counting never stops
Dennis Abarientos, Karapatan Central Visayas spokesperson, revealed that human rights violations under the Marcos administration spiked.
“Millions became victims of harassment and threats in the Philippines, 44,000 families were displaced due to extensive demolitions, and the number of political prisoners has reached 105,” Abarientos said in Cebuano.
Jaime Paglinawan of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Central Visayas called out Marcos for spending P20 million for his SONA while 13 million Filipinos remain poor.
Paglinawan said that “amid all of these concerns from the different sectors, we are witnessing a Marcos-Duterte feud. Political dynasties who’ll do things to remain in power like Cha-Cha, and the three Dutertes running for office,” said Paglinawan.
For all these concerns and issues, multisectoral leaders of Cebu believe that the Marcos administration is a huge failure. “(He is) unredeemable, not even if he takes up remedial class,” said Cimafranca.
On the morning of the SONA, multi-sectoral groups in Cebu gathered at the historic Fuente-Osmeña Circle for the Sugbuanon People’s Agenda, where representatives from the different sectors revealed the situation on the ground in order to expose the lies of Marcos’ claims. (RTS, RVO) 
