Authorities have urged the people of this province to go out and vote whether six of Lanao del Norte’s towns will be included in the new Bangsamoro region despite the explosions that occurred in three towns Monday, the eve of the Feb. 6 plebiscite.
Street scenes: Chinese New Year in Manila Chinatown
Manila’s Chinatown, tucked away in Ongpin Street, Binondo Manila, is the oldest Chinatown in the Philippines and in the world.
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DRAGON DANCE
Students from Chong Hua High School perform the traditional dragon dance as the Chinese Community in Davao City celebrate Chinese New Year at Rizal Park on Monday, February 4. (Kath M. Cortez/davaotoday.com)
High prices, flat real wages remain despite lower inflation – IBON
Research group IBON said that the lower inflation figure for January 2019 is welcome, but stressed that prices are still higher compared to last year. Real wages have been stagnant for more than a decade and high prices remain a burden for most Filipino families, said the group.
Headline inflation for January 2019 is at 4.4% according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Price hikes have notably slowed down from 5.1% in December 2018, but inflation is still higher than the 3.4% inflation in January last year.
IBON observed that the prices of many basic goods are still higher than a year ago. PSA reports that in the National Capital Region (NCR), for example, the prices of rice, sugar and native garlic are more expensive by as much as Php3.00, Php10.00 and Php20.00 per kilo, respectively; vegetables like cabbage and eggplant increased by Php10.00 and Php40.00 per kilo; while bangus and beef have also increased by Php40.00 and Php25.00 per kilo.
IBON said that high prices continue to pose difficulties for the majority of Filipino families who are low-income earners. The group estimates that at least 6 out of 10 Filipino households struggle below the family living wage (FLW) of Php996 per day or the amount needed by a family of five members to live decently.
The group noted that, adjusted for inflation, the reported average daily basic pay (ADBP) of wage and salary workers of Php364 in January 2018 was only 1.6% higher than the ADBP 17 years ago. Yet wage increases in 2018 were not even able to compensate for high inflation so real incomes remain low and insufficient for decent living, the group underscored. For instance, the Php25 wage hike in the National Capital Region (NCR) was just a 4.9% increase in the minimum wage, to Php537, versus 5.5% inflation in NCR for 2018.
High prices and stagnant wages will keep on hounding tens of millions of Filipinos unless the government radically changes its overly market-biased and profit-oriented economic policies, IBON said. The government has to accept the necessity of market-bending interventions to support domestic agriculture and industry if it wants to lower the price of locally-produced food and other products. The oil industry has to be regulated responsibly to lessen the effects of high global oil prices. Regressive consumption taxes that make basic goods and services expensive have to be cut, while workers’ wages have to be substantially increased. ###
Solons call for official commemoration of Philippine-American War
By Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress – Public Domain
MANILA — ACT Teachers Representatives Antonio Tinio and France Castro called on President Rodrigo Duterte to urgently enact HB 2092, An Act Declaring February 4 of Every Year as “Philippine-American War day” into law.
“We need to commemorate it to recognize the heroic struggles of our fellow Filipinos who fought against the invasion, oppression, and intervention of a foreign power,” ACT Rep. Tinio said. The commemoration, he said, will serve also as a reminder of the nationalist principles of those who fought in the war and prevent historical revisionism.
Tinio calls it “unfortunate” that the Duterte administration has been implementing anti-people policies abetting “the continuation of US atrocities,” and allowing at the same time other foreign powers like China to invade our lands and waters.
The ACT solons filed HB 2092, “An Act Declaring February 4 of Every Year as ‘Philippine-American War day’ in 2017. The bill passed the third and final reading at the House of Representatives in May 2018. Its counterpart bill at the Senate passed the 2nd reading last Wednesday January 30. The teacher solons urged the Senate to approve its version of the bill on 3rd reading, paving the way for its enactment into law.
Heroic struggle
The Philippine-American War has been described as “one of the most heroic struggles ever waged in modern times; a struggle waged against implacable odds and at terrible cost,” through various resistance movements across the country such as those led by General Antonio Luna, Simeon Ola, Macario Sakay, and the Pulajanes.
This image is a work of a U.S. Army soldier or employee, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain.
From 1889 until late 1910s, the Philippine-American war resulted to the death of over a million Filipinos. This includes the 200,000 civilians killed during the pacification campaigns that used hamletting, “scorched-earth” policy, and “cordon tactics” against entire villages, tortures such as the water cure, and other atrocities by the US armed forces.
Despite the success of the campaign to compel the US to return the Balangiga bells, a success considered as an important step in educating Filipinos on the heroism of earlier generations and the suffering they endured in the struggle against US colonial occupation, much still need to be done, said the teacher solons.
“A large gap still remains in our collective memory regarding the Philippine-American War,” Tinio said. An official commemoration of the outbreak of the war through the enactment of their bill into law is hoped to contribute to addressing this “historical amnesia.”
Honor our heroes’ sacrifices – ACT Teachers’ Partylist
“By refusing to take concrete steps towards a truly independent foreign policy, the Duterte administration fails to honor the sacrifices of the countless named and unnamed heroes who fought for our independence,” ACT Rep. Castro said.
Worse, Castro said, “The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the U.S. remain in force while the administration is hell-bent on allowing China to explore Benham Rise and a Chinese corporation to exploit the telecommunications industry.”
A disservice to Filipino fighters for independence, the Philippines’ rich human and natural resources continue to serve the interests of big foreign businesses while our government continues to deprive the people of basic social services and decent living wage, Castro said. She cited as example the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law which “worsened a tax system that already collects more from the poor while enabling incentives for the rich.”
“Now more than ever, we have to be reminded of the Filipinos’ long history of struggle against the systematic oppression of imperialist nations like the U.S.”
The teacher solons appealed to each and every Filipinos’ “nationalist earnestness.”
“Please act against historical revisionism. Let us honor the heroic struggles of our fellow Filipinos who fought against the invasion, oppression, and intervention of a foreign power in the past by uniting to fight the U.S.-Duterte regime’s dictatorial ambitions and tyrannical rule. Honor their lives by continuing the struggle for genuine independence,” Tinio ended.
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Malayao family: ‘How could they tell such lies against Randy?’
By RAYMUND B. VILLANUEVA
Kodao Productions
SAN PABLO, Isabela—Randy Malayao’s family expressed sadness over allegations made by the Philippine National Police (PNP) that the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant mismanaged funds that may have led to his assassination.
“The family is hurt. They are victimizing our brother even after he was killed,” Malayao’s elder sister Perla said.
Perla recalled that Randy never even had clothes that perfectly fit him, revealing that the victim did not like buying things for himself, using monies given him by friends and family on other people’s welfare.
“How could they tell such lies about Randy like that when he chose to be like the poor he chose to dedicate his life to despite his obvious brilliance, education and connections?” Perla asked.
Perla said no one knew their youngest sibling better than them, saying Randy was too good a person to have misbehaved as the police alleged.
The PNP in Region 2 alleged that Malayao may have been killed by his comrades in the revolutionary movement for misusing funds and running off with a woman.
The PNP did not offer proof to back up its allegations.
Malayao was also single at the time of his death.
Meanwhile, the 5th Infantry Division based in Gamu, Isabela through its spokesperson Maj. Jefferson Somera denied it had a hand in the PNP allegation being circulated by its spokesperson Supt. Chevalier Iringan.
‘Incredible generosity’
Malayao’s elder brother Isidro said they are constantly surprised by the stories told to them by people who visit the victim’s wake in their ancestral home in this town.
“It is only now that we learned that Randy helped more people that we ever knew,” Isidro said.
“We see total strangers crying before Randy’s casket, thanking our brother for his help,” he added.
Isidro said they never knew Randy also helped many Ferdinand Marcos’ martial law victims in Cagayan Valley receive compensation worth tens of millions of pesos.
“They tell us that Randy did not ask for a single centavo for all his troubles,” Isidro said.
A beneficiary whose father was killed and burned by Philippine Constabulary troopers in the late 70s confirmed that Malayao never asked for money from her even after her family received Php1.7 million with his help.
“Nasimpet ket nalaing ni Manong Randy,” she said in Ilocano, adding she never met the victim before they asked for his help with the Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board (HRVCB) led by retired police general Lina Sarmiento. (Randy was kind and brilliant.)
The beneficiary, who asked not to be named, said she could not think of any reason why Malayao was killed except that he was Leftist.
She added that she no longer supports President Rodrigo Duterte after Malayao’s murder.
Meanwhile, progressive groups in Cagayan Valley announced they will be holding an indignation rally around Tuguegarao City on Wednesday, January 6.
The rally will end in front of PNP Region 2’s Camp Marcelo Adduru to denounce the police’s “vilification campaign” against Malayao.
They will hold another indignation rally in Tuguegarao on Thursday, January 7, before proceeding to this town to join the funeral march for Malayao. Reposted by
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Peace group: Murder of NDFP consultant Randy Malayao a big blow to peace process
The peace group Sowing the Seeds of Peace (SSP) said the death of National Democratic Front peace consultant was a big blow to the peace process and apparently sends a chilling effects to peace advocates.
Fee hikes to push more youths to leave schools, groups warn
As thousands of schools are expected to raise tuition and other school fees next school year, progressive youth organizations warned that government approval to another round of fee hikes “will only keep more youths out of schools.”