Urban poor group Kadamay calls on street dwellers, vendors in Manila to defy orders by authorities to leave their posts for the final week of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.
This as the social welfare department under the local government units of Manila, together with national agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, fully implements the clearing of street dwellers in Manila in the guise of its Modified Conditional Cash Transfer Program, which aims to provide home rental and livelihood assistance to street dwellers.
Meanwhile, according to Kadamay, ambulant and stationary vendors on the streets leading to the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) were notified to leave their posts for a week during the final week of the APEC summit. The PICC will host the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. on November 18-19.
This as the social welfare department under the local government units of Manila, together with national agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, fully implements the clearing of street dwellers in Manila in the guise of its Modified Conditional Cash Transfer Program, which aims to provide home rental and livelihood assistance to street dwellers.
Meanwhile, according to Kadamay, ambulant and stationary vendors on the streets leading to the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) were notified to leave their posts for a week during the final week of the APEC summit. The PICC will host the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. on November 18-19.
This afternoon, Kadamay will hold a caravan-protest that aims to reach out to the street dwellers and vendors along Kalaw Ave and other streets leading to the PICC, and to inform them about the ill-effects brought by APEC to the urban poor.
Earlier, the group called Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman and Malacanang a hypocrite for denying the governments’ effort to hide street dwellers from Metro Manila’s thoroughfares in preparation for the APEC.
“It is very clear to us and to the general public that the Aquino administration is hiding poverty,” said Gloria Arellano, Kadamay national chairperson.
Arellano also claims that to hide the real situation of the poor is like putting bondage over a wound to cover it, without doing the proper and necessary medication.
And as her group expects that APEC delegates will only further the implementation of anti-poor neoliberal policies, the poverty in the country is only bound to worsen.
Earlier, the group called Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman and Malacanang a hypocrite for denying the governments’ effort to hide street dwellers from Metro Manila’s thoroughfares in preparation for the APEC.
“It is very clear to us and to the general public that the Aquino administration is hiding poverty,” said Gloria Arellano, Kadamay national chairperson.
Arellano also claims that to hide the real situation of the poor is like putting bondage over a wound to cover it, without doing the proper and necessary medication.
And as her group expects that APEC delegates will only further the implementation of anti-poor neoliberal policies, the poverty in the country is only bound to worsen.
Opportune time
"We have to remind the APEC summit delegates that their efforts are to blame for the dire condition that majority of Filipinos are suffering. It is in this light that we challenge our fellow urban poor, the street dwellers and vendors of Metro Manila, to defy orders from the authorities to leave their posts, even temporarily or and only within the duration of the AELM," she added.
Arellano also said that it is the most opportune time for the urban poor to shout out their disgust over the neoliberal economic policies that have forced us to become homeless and jobless
According to leader, the neoliberal policies that APEC and other globalization instruments have forced-fed on world economies have spelled the death blow to the local economy since the Philippines hosted the affair for the first time in 1996.
"The ill-effects of neoliberal policies since 1996 have become more imminent, undeniable and unjustifiable," said the leader.
Post-APEC 1996
"We have to remind the APEC summit delegates that their efforts are to blame for the dire condition that majority of Filipinos are suffering. It is in this light that we challenge our fellow urban poor, the street dwellers and vendors of Metro Manila, to defy orders from the authorities to leave their posts, even temporarily or and only within the duration of the AELM," she added.
Arellano also said that it is the most opportune time for the urban poor to shout out their disgust over the neoliberal economic policies that have forced us to become homeless and jobless
According to leader, the neoliberal policies that APEC and other globalization instruments have forced-fed on world economies have spelled the death blow to the local economy since the Philippines hosted the affair for the first time in 1996.
"The ill-effects of neoliberal policies since 1996 have become more imminent, undeniable and unjustifiable," said the leader.
Post-APEC 1996
According to independent think-tank Ibon, since the APEC 1996, the Philippines has suffered from the worst job crisis in its history with the number of unemployed and underemployed Filipinos increasing from 8.3 million in 1996 to 12.2 million in 2015.
Due to liberalization of trade pushed by APEC, agricultural production has decreased from 21.3% in 1991-2001 to only 10.8% in 2011-2014. Meanwhile, the production in the manufacturing industry has decreased from 25% in 1995-2000 to 22.6% in 2010-2014--the lowest average in 6 decades.
According to Ibon 2014 Year-End report, 66 million Filipinos or 68% of the population live with P125 per day, in contrast to the wealth of top 40 richest Filipino businessmen which earns P3.4 trillion in the 2014. ###
Due to liberalization of trade pushed by APEC, agricultural production has decreased from 21.3% in 1991-2001 to only 10.8% in 2011-2014. Meanwhile, the production in the manufacturing industry has decreased from 25% in 1995-2000 to 22.6% in 2010-2014--the lowest average in 6 decades.
According to Ibon 2014 Year-End report, 66 million Filipinos or 68% of the population live with P125 per day, in contrast to the wealth of top 40 richest Filipino businessmen which earns P3.4 trillion in the 2014. ###
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