Philippines: Ang Bayan’s contribution to the political consolidation of the people’s army and the masses in Masbate

We hereby share an article published by Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC).

In a guerrilla zone in Masbate, Ang Bayan (AB) plays a crucial role in consolidating the people’s army and the masses.

Ka Louie, a political instructor in a unit in the area, said AB plays an important role in providing political education to the army and the masses.

“Part of our unit’s education program is the discussion group (DG). These DGs aim to train comrades in discussion and propaganda,” he said.

Ka Louie’s unit discusses every issue of AB, as well those of Silyab, Ang Kusog, statements, pamphlets, and other short documents. “In our unit, we have studied all issues from 2023 to the present. We also review old articles of AB that are relevant to the issues we face,” he said. One of these articles is “Linyang Masa sa Gawaing Rekoberi sa Leyte” (Mass Line in the Recovery Work in Leyte), which they study thoroughly as they are in a recovery situation in their area of operation.

“Raising the level of political awareness, especially among young new recruits who are deeply engaged in Tiktok, Facebook, Mobile Legends, and other neoliberal cultural influences, is a significant challenge for us. AB is essential for updating and raising the interest of comrades in understanding the current political situation and gradually train them for the need to explain it to the masses,” he shared.

In a situation where the enemy is constantly mobile, AB’s contribution to rapid and mobile political studies among the masses is significant. Ka Louie said there are times when they need to finish studying, organizing, and planning with mass organizations in just one day. Apart from the standard basic studies in the National Democratic School, AB is useful for the unit in such situations.

“AB can be seamlessly incorporated into the masses’ daily production activities,” he said.

He reported that from the last quarter of 2023 to October, they have conducted 37 batches of discussions on AB, mostly among the youth.

Despite difficult situation, comrades continue to find ways to overcome limitations in distributing AB and other propaganda materials.

“Before the RCSP (Retooled Community Support Program) onslaught, we were able to reproduce tens of thousands of copies, whether of AB or other documents. In the current intense enemy offensive, we have yet to regain the same level of vitality in distribution. But we keep persevering based on what the situation allows.”

Given difficulties in printing, guerrilla units have adapted by distributing digital copies of AB using smartphones. “We need to keep up with the changing times, especially since many young people are now using Android devices. Of course, we ensure security protocols when using electronic gadgets.”

Comrades share documents with the masses using file-sharing apps. “We also request them to distribute it to their neighbors or fellow villagers,” Ka Louie said. “It’s a big bonus if the local chapters members, middle forces, or mass organizations that receive the documents can also spend time for collective reading.”

The efforts of comrades and the masses in one guerrilla zone have resulted in the distribution of thousands of copies of AB, both in printed and digital form since 2023.

Promoting AB as the Party’s newspaper is the task of every revolutionary. Like other revolutionary tasks, this is guided by Marxist-Leninist-Maoist principles. For Ka Louie, he holds on to the spirit of dialectical materialism in this task. “Every problem has a solution. If unwilling, there’s an excuse; if there’s a will, there’s always a way,” he said. “How will you know if you don’t try? It is in the context of recovery and resurgence that we understand and uphold dialectical materialism.”

For him, studying and promoting Ang Bayan is a reminder of the basic Marxist principle. “Advance according to the limits of what we can. Just push on!”