Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Volume IV, Number 5 February 29 - March 6, 2004 Quezon City, Philippines |
Friends
from Foreign Lands, Filipinos at Heart They
speak of landless peasants, abuse of human rights and the dehumanizing effects
of the war on terror. Members of the Philippine International Forum are
foreigners in the Philippines – many of them long-time residents – but their
solidarity work for the Filipino cause reveals a deep commitment that makes them
stay longer. By
Alexander Martin Remollino It
was somewhat unusual to hear foreigners, mostly Caucasians, speak fluent
Filipino. Many
of them, in fact, speak the language more fluently than most Filipinos. They
are members of the Philippine International Forum (PIF), which celebrated its
20th anniversary last Feb. 22 at the Titus Brandsma Center in Quezon City. The
anniversary celebration was marked by a string of cultural performances from
Marili and Wiccie Ilagan, Dessa Quesada, Sining Bugkos, Sining Lila, Bersus, and
other artists. It
was also the occasion for the launching of PIF’s
third Letter of Concern. At
the end of the cultural performances, it was somewhat poignant to see the
mostly-white foreigner crowd of close to a hundred sing the patriotic “Bayan
Ko” and chanting: “Long live international solidarity!” PIF
at a glance The
PIF describes itself as “a network of foreign residents of various national
and ethnic origins, religious beliefs, political views and backgrounds committed
to solidarity with the Filipino people in their efforts for justice, peace, and
self-determination.” It conducts yearly conferences in which its members come
together to discuss issues related to the Philippine situation. According
to Dr. Wim de Ceukelaire of Belgium, who was PIF co-chairperson for 2003-04
together with Sr. Mary Grenough, an American Maryknoll nun and nurse who works
with the Justice Not War Coalition, “The initiators of PIF were foreign church
people, especially from the Catholic Church, who were assigned in Mindanao. They
came together—actually that was an initiative of Fr. Luis Hechanova, a
Redemptorist. He brought them together for a meeting. I think that was in
Western Mindanao sometime in 1984.” That
was the first PIF conference. The second was held a year later, in which
development workers were also invited for the first time. According to Dr. De
Ceukelaire, it was in that meeting that the idea of a letter of concern came up. The
first PIF Letter of Concern dealt with the abuses of the Marcos dictatorship and
called on Christian churches of the United States to stand in solidarity with
the people’s anti-fascist resistance. “That
was in late 1985 to the early months of 1986,” says Dr. De Ceukelaire. Aside
from that, PIF members were also involved in various ways in anti-Marcos protest
actions. The
second PIF Letter of Concern was published in 1988, at the height of the popular
campaigns against U.S. military bases in the Philippines. “It focused on why
the Filipino people want the U.S. bases out,” Dr. De Ceukelaire says. “It
gave a historical background of what role the U.S. bases have played in the
history of the Philippines—such as the role of U.S. intervention.” Letter
of Concern, 2004 The
PIF’s third Letter of concern tackles the worsening state of human rights
under the Macapagal-Arroyo administration. Culling
from various human rights and media reports, the 2004 Letter of Concern presents
a disturbing picture of the over-all human rights situation in the Philippines
in the last three years. Aside from its main article, the 2004 Letter of Concern
includes a number of box articles on prominent cases of human rights violations
under the Macapagal-Arroyo regime, such as the massacre of youth activists in
Maco, Compostela Valley last year, the Mindoro killings of Bayan Muna activists,
and the murders of 13 journalists also last year. It
correctly explains the human rights situation under the Macapagal-Aroyo regime
in the context of the U.S.-led international war on “terror,” which is being
actively supported by the incumbent president. Sr.
Mary and Dr. De Ceukelaire state in the executive summary: “The U.S.
government’s war on terrorism, like the Philippine government’s militarist
response to domestic conflict, is a plastic solution to deeply-rooted
socio-economic political problems. The problem of landlessness for the majority
peasant population, foreign domination of economic and political life, rampant
government corruption, and national oppression of Muslims were institutionalized
during almost 400 years of Spanish and American colonialism. Profound
transformation of political, social, and economic structures is necessary to
build genuine peace in the Philippines. But serious pursuit of this path to
peace has not been undertaken.” What
moves PIF PIF’s
members usually come from the U.S. and Europe, while some come from Asian
countries such as Japan. A
good number of them have been in the Philippines for a long time, some having
been here as early as 1962. These are people who could have been doing more
“glamorous” or lucrative work in perfumed rooms in their own countries:
doctors, priests and the like. Considering
that they usually come from countries wealthier economically than the
Philippines, what makes them stay on? Let Dr. De Ceukelaire explain: “These are people in whom something is awakened when they are exposed to realities in the Philippines…Most people who are still active in PIF after a long time are those who are closely connected with the people’s movement. Most of them are closely in touch with the lives of Filipinos whether in the streets or in the barrios (villages).” Bulatlat.com We want to know what you think of this article.
|
|