Urban poor group urges PNoy to pursue talk with NDF [Says social unrest, a glaring reality]

RELEASE l SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

MANILA, Philippines—An urban poor group, in a statement, urges the Philippine government to take seriously its effort to continue the interrupted peace talk with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines(NDFP) saying “it has become more necessary today for the government to look into the proposals of the Left as the existing socio-economic programs seem to be futile in addressing the widespread poverty, and as the worsening local crisis threatens to spur an inevitable social unrest among the populace.”

According to Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap, “it is very timely for the government to evaluate the Comprehensive Agreement of Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER) offered by the NDFP, as well as the formation of a coalition government in implementing such reforms. And there is a high necessity to replace the current corrupt and landlord-comprador-operated bureaucracy to fully attain the reforms offered in CASER, so to benefit the millions of marginalized Filipinos.”

According to the group statement: “The government should also take seriously the possibility of social unrest to spur in the near future because the existing socio-economic programs of the government are all palliative, including Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), Pantawid Pasada, and Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPEr).”

“These programs do not address the very vital issue of lack of sustainable and balance source of income for the majority of the population to ensure social order,” says Gloria Arellano, Kadamay national secretary-general.

“The plight of millions of poor Filipinos is hopeless, and chronic poverty will propel social unrest not only in the countryside, but also in the urban centers in the years to come,” she adds.

Social unrest, inevitable
Despite, the Palace’s denial of its possibility, the urban group shows how social unrest is an idea that the government should take seriously.

Current data shows that landlords, for generations, have dominatedland ownershipin the countryside. According to Kadamay, this limits the access to sustainable sources of income for tens of million families of farmers, who are majority of Filipinos, and drives a growing trend of urban migration.

“The flagship land reform program of the government, the Akbayan-sponsored CARPEr, even legitimizes land grabbing as in the case of Hacienda Luisita farmers and in other haciendas in the country,” Arellano says.

She adds: “While the government keeps on calibrating employment statistics, more than 7 million of Filipinos lack the job they need in the urban centers, or a third of the labor force, because of the an economy that has been dwarfed though generations by neoliberal policies. Mining and exporting our natural resources to other countries, BPOs and labor export program clearly show how our economy is serving only the interest of multinational companies.”

For the millions of poor Filipinos
While the government keeps its positive outlook high riding on the optimism of Filipinos, recent surveys cannot cover up the fact that almost half of the population consider themselves poorer than ever, and the incidence of hunger is at all-time high.

“As long as the Aquino government keeps on relying to its existing socio-economic programs, it cannot escape the glaring possibility of social unrest similar to those seen on television in the MENA regions,” Arellano warns.

“Programs for genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization, which are CASER’s fundamental programs will not only prevent the social unrest that has started decades ago in the entire countryside, and is now turning to reach the urban population in coming years,” Arellano says.“It will also give chance to millions of poor Filipinos to break free from the bonds of poverty that they have hopelessly and gruelingly suffered from for generations.”###

Reference: Gloria Arellano, Kadamay National Secretary-General l 09213927457