[Year-long struggle against demolition, instilled among San Roque children] North Triangle kids stage their own protest vs demolition

RELEASE l September 20, 2011

QUEZON CITY, Philippines—As the community of San Roque in QC’s North Triangle celebrates the first anniversary of the residents triumphant EDSA barricade against demolition this coming 23rd of September, children who learned from their parents’ year-long struggle to maintain their community staged their own children’s protest today. They demand for the president to look into the cases of thousands of children who will be left homeless, or be thrown to far-flung relocation sites in Rodriguez, Rizal.

Asked about the reason why they hold their own protest action, Joana Lopes, the 11-year old president of Kadamay-Bulilit San Roque Chapter said: “Bacause Noynoy seemed to be deaf of the calls of our parents to stop the demolition of our homes. Maybe then he would listen to us.”

These North triangle kids who are children of parents who have been doing protest actions, and propaganda-education among the residents all year long since September 23, 2010 have learned to do as what they parents do.

“These children have learned to hold their own MPT (mobile propaganda team) inside the community, house-to-house and leafleteering efforts, even soliciting donations from the residents to finance the operationsand needs of their children organization,” according to Jocy Lopes, mother of Joana and a community organizer in San Roque. “They learned them by observing from our daily activities as we convince residents to reject government’s relocation offers, and stay in the community.”

The mother added: “They also learned what happened to their former playmates who have relocated to Montalban and Bulacan, and whose families have returned to San Roque in a worse case, more impoverished than when they left the community. Many of the children have left school as their families moved to the relocation sites because the parents could no longer afford the cost of schooling.”

Aside from more adult activities, the kids also offered cultural presentations as part of their protest actions. In San Roque, lyrics of popular songs are inserted with demolition-related verses as sung by the children.

“It may be a sad reality that our children were already keen to the harsh realities like demolition and barricades. What makes it worse is that they see this government as the enemy, as it has employed armed policemen and SWAT just to bring down their homes, and probably, the worst case, when it has sent their parents to jail for fighting for their rights,” Mrs. Lopes said.

“The brighter side of the story, however, is that at an early stage they learned that they can do something to pursue what they think is just and rightful, even if it is the government that blocks their way. They may be far better human right activists than us in the future,” the mother said. ###

REFERENCE: Carlito Badion, AKD Lead Convenor l 09393873736
Joana Lopez, Kadamay Bulilit-San Roque Chapter President I 09282998089