May Day Demonstrations in the Philippines
Featured image: May Day demonstration in the Philippines. Source: PRWC.
Powerful May Day manifestations have been reported throughout the Philippines by Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC).
Thousands of workers from various unions, workers’ associations, and other organizations marched together in Manila on May 1 to mark International Working Class Day. Estimates puts the number of participants as up to 30,000 which united under the National Wage Coalition led by Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Nagkaisa Labor Coalition (Nagkaisa!), and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).
Slogans such as “Wage hike now toward a national living wage!”, “Remove E-VAT and excise tax and review income tax!” , “Tax excessive wealth and super profits!” and “Arrest all the corrupt!”, at the forefront of the march, a banner reading “Raise wages! Lower taxes! Launch a nationwide strike!” was carried.
After the National Wage Coalition’s united program, KMU, together with All Workers Unity and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, led a march to the US embassy. Calls for the end to the Yankee-imperialist war of aggression against Iran were made, “which has inflicted an unparalleled crisis in the Philippines and worldwide”, PRWC reports.
Amid the economic and political crisis, KMU called on fellow workers to hold firm and rely on the strength of our class, stating: “Let us link the struggle of Filipino workers with the struggle of all workers worldwide against plunder, war, and fascism. Together, let us bring down US imperialism—the number one enemy of workers and peoples of the world,”
PRWC also reports that demonstrations were held in the cities of Baguio, Subic, Angeles City, Meyacauayan, Calamba City, Legazpi City, Cebu City, Tacloban City, Roxas City, Iloilo City, Bacolod City and Davao City.
PRWC also reports that State forces repressed the workers May Day actions, in “an attempt by the Marcos regime to force workers to submit and suppress their militant spirit on International Workers’ Day.”
Members of the National Democratic Front (NDF)-Laguna, together with members of the Revolutionary Council of Trade Unions (RCTU)-Laguna, led the distribution of leaflets carrying their statements in the province’s city centers on April 29-30. Hundreds of leaflets were handed out to urge the people of the province to act and join the national democratic revolution.
Filipino migrants commemorated 1st of May in various countries, led by national democratic organizations, including in Hong Kong, the United States, South Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, England, France, Canada, Italy and Germany.
The Revolutionary Council of Trade Unions (RCTU) published a statement urging the working class to lead the national democratic revolution.
