Altermidya
Filipino communities and supporters rallied in front of the Philippine Consulate in New York to criticize the Marcos Jr. administration.
By KRISTINE VILLANUEVA
New York City — Over 150 Filipino activists, community members and allies from across the Northeastern U.S., assembled in front of the Philippine consulate on July 21, ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s third state of the Nation Address (SONA). The protest centered around Marcos’ claims of bolstering economic growth, increasing support for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), expanding social safety nets and increased U.S. militarization.
Speakers highlighted the slow action and lack of transparency while seeking assistance from the Philippine consulate, especially the Florida 15 (F15), a group of migrant workers left the Philippines for jobs in the W Hotel in Miami. The F15 still seeks support to bring their trafficker, Jojo Villanueva who has been recently spotted after a period of hiding, to justice.
“Well, let me tell you how distressed the Filipino people are… We are in distress every single day! We are in distress because of this corrupt government!” said AJ of Migrate New York, who expressed frustration with the consulate for charging the F15 $255 with a tight deadline in order to attend a Zoom court hearing last Thursday on-site.
In his SONA, Marcos Jr. expressed gratitude for the OFWs’ contributions to the Philippine economy in remittances, but did not address the government’s lapse in support of OFWs around the globe.
“There are thousands of Filipino workers who migrate every day. And with that is a promise from the Philippine government that they will take care of the migrants who choose to make the sacrifice to leave,” said Jackie Mariano of The Mission to End Modern Slavery (MEMS).
Mariano also explained that the consulate helps migrants through the Aid to Nationals Fund (ATN), which migrants can apply for when they’re in any kind of distress abroad. Organizers not only scrutinized the lack of transparency with the dispersal process and lack of support from the government but also worsening economic conditions for Filipinos back home. Eight thousand Filipino workers leave the country every day in search of more stable economic prospects. Almost 60% of Filipinos also self-identified as poor, according to a recent survey from Social Weather Stations, an increase from 46% who said the same in March.
Still, the administration’s statistics from SONA claim an increased employment rate of 95.9% and decreased unemployment from 11.7% in May of 2023 to 9.9%.
Philippines another Ukraine?
Marcos, Jr. also delivered his speech on the heels of a recent nuclear arms deal with the U.S., further solidifying the Philippines as a strategic player in a tense proxy war with China. While historically the U.S. and other NATO countries have not focused on the Indo-Pacific, the war in Ukraine created divisions among Russia and its allies which prompted closer cooperation between the U.S., and allies in Europe and Asia. Critics say the alliance jeopardizes the safety of Filipino citizens and has dangerous effects on the environment.
“These disputes are becoming more frequent because the United States military has been bulking up its presence in the Asia Pacific with the help of Marcos, Jr. He is putting our people in mortal danger because of his subservience to the United States’ desire for war over diplomacy with China,” said Margo Cody of Malaya Movement New York.
Despite Marcos Jr.’s recent statements promising Philippine sovereignty, the U.S. has expanded its military presence in the country, upping 5 EDCA bases to at least 9. The expansion is further evidence of a steady drum beat towards normalizing U.S. military presence on Philippine soil as part of the U.S.’s larger strategy to encircle China and dominate the Indo-Pacific region.
Activists also pointed to recent Balikatan exercises, an annual joint military exercise with the U.S. and Armed Forces of the Philippines, as a way to intimidate China. The most recent Balikatan exercises in April were the largest yet. Speakers at the protest also said that these recent events have postured U.S. military aggression towards China that foreshadows a potentially deadly confrontation in the Asia-Pacific.
