Defeat PIRMA and Elite Squabbling! Push for a Genuine Alternative: An Economy of the People!

Defeat PIRMA and Elite Squabbling!

Push for a Genuine Alternative: An Economy of the People!

We, the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), assert that the uncertainty of the lives of
ordinary Filipinos has only been exacerbated by the worsening feud among the country’s
leading oligarch politicians.

Since Pres. Marcos assumed the presidency in July 2022, the people have heard nothing
but empty promises. “Pangarap mo, pangarap ko”. Your dream is my dream, he famously
said.

But what really happened? The prices of basic commodities—rice, meat, onion, salt,
sardines, bread—skyrocketed! Meanwhile, Mr. Marcos, went on a travel binge, ostensibly
to court investors, but the trillions of pesos in investments turned out to be nothing more
than mere pledges. The administration also claims that unemployment went down. What
they are not saying, however, is that the vast majority of jobs in the country (over 80 per
cent) are not regular, and are in fact, informal, precarious and devoid of any protection.
In addition, most of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that were
negatively impacted by the Duterte administration’s harsh Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020
and 2021 have yet to recover.

It therefore comes as no surprise that as much as 50 per cent or 13 million Filipino families
have fallen below the poverty line according to a recent Social Weather Station (SWS)
survey. The ranks of the hungry are also increasing, most of whom belong to families of
fishers, coconut farmers, and in banana plantations in Mindanao which were affected by
the Panama disease.

Truly, ordinary people are adrift in a sea of uncertainty. The dream of a rosy future often
mentioned by Mr. Marcos has turned into a nightmare for many Filipinos.

In recent days, the national situation has become even more precarious with the
worsening spat between the camps of the former and current presidents and a greedy
politician. Accusations have been flying left and right, with the former president Duterte
being accused of abusing the powerful painkiller, Fentanyl, while Marcos has been
accused of laziness and cocaine addiction. At the same time, members of the House of
Representative led by the current House Speaker are suspected of being behind the
PIRMA initiative to amend the constitution. Despite their efforts, the masterminds behind
the PIRMA campaign cannot camouflage the obvious agenda of the oligarchs: removing
term limits for politicians and further tightening their control of the political system.

If reform is necessary, politicians and administration officials should focus attention on
the reforms already outlined in the Constitution. First among these is the building of an
economy controlled by Filipinos and based on a robust industrialization and agricultural
development; one that creates employment and provides opportunities for all sectors, big
or small, to develop. But the opposite has happened. What we have is an economy where
manufacturing and agriculture are moribund; an economy that is being given away to
foreigners; an economy dominated by the rich corporations; and, an economy where the
poor are oppressed and marginalized.

Malacanang and Congress have only deepened the already scandalous inequality in the
country. The national budget for this year includes P1 trillion for disguised pork barrel for
the President and legislators hiding under the categories of confidential funds,
maintenance and operating expenses (MOOE), extraordinary expenses and unprogrammed funds. On the other hand, the budget allocated for the poor is only a little more than P500 million if we add up the allocations for TUPDAD, AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation), 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program), and Legacy Projects established by the House Speaker. In the current brouhaha over so-called people’s initiative, government funds intended as “ayuda” are apparently being thrown
around to get the required number of signatures from each Congressional district.

While all this is happening, what is being ignored is the surging national debt. For 2024,
the government claims that only P600 billion is allocated for debt servicing. What the
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is trying to sweep under the rug is the
fact that a total of P1 trillion will also be paid as principal amortization on the debt this
year. In other words, the P1.6 trillion to be spent to service the debt is already one third
of the P5.6 trillion national budget, dwarfing the budget for education. This is a clear
violation of the Constitution which mandates that the highest budgetary priority be given
to education.

In summary, the budget for 2024 is a budget for pork barrel and more debt. This is by no
means a budget for recovery and creation of jobs and livelihoods for the marginalized. It
is not a budget to fix the stunted structure of the economy. To put it simply, the already
dire situation of the country only further worsened by the squabbles between the nation’s
top elites, the PIRMA scandal, and the on-going attempts to railroad Charter Change.
Response of FDC and the People. The collective response of the Coalition and the
Filipino people is to immediately scrap PIRMA and to expose the hidden political agenda
of the ruling political families in Malacañang and in Congress. In this light, FDC calls for
“Interes ng Buong Sambayanan Igiit, Interes ng Iilan Iwaksi (assert the people’s interests
and defeat the insatiable appetite for power of the few). To achieve this, it is deemed imperative to push for an alternative economy – the People’s Economy, where it prioritizes the following:

1. Transform the development blueprint of the economy. To strengthen the
manufacturing and agricultural sectors, reclaim public services (power, water, and
among others) back to government’s control, to pursue balanced trade, to
implement just debt policy, and to commit to “preferential policy” to Filipino
products, industries, and workers.

2. Demand for social and economic reforms for a genuine and equitable society
for all. There must be a halt in the rampant land conversion through the urgent
passage of the National Land Use Act. Social reforms must be integrated to
facilitate major changes across all sectors. This includes reforms in the fisheries
and coastal communities, agricultural sectors and agrarian beneficiaries, housing
reforms on the urban and rural communities, education reforms in to address
learning gaps, health reforms through full realization of the Universal Health Care
Law, and reforms on the “Ayuda Programs” to make it sustainable in a long-term.

3. Address the monumental challenges on sustainability. The grave dangers of
global warming leading to climate change should tap the diverging concerns on
people-oriented mitigation and adaptation measures. Climate crisis should open
the discourse on transforming the industries, agriculture, the communities,
infrastructure, forestry, and coastal/marine resources, and should be aligned with
the vision of a sustainable Philippines with no one left behind. The implementation
of the seventeen (17) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United
Nations on ground should also be in synergy. Thus, the attempts to change the
Constitution should not be the priority as it would only benefit the vested interests
of the few.

4. Advance the mass involvement of the stakeholders in various economic
levels. The spirit of “Damayan, Tangkilikan, at Bayanihan” shall not falter amidst
faring difficulties. This embodies the principle of Solidarity Economy in effecting a
collective and inclusive development for all. Wherein, women and the communities
should take the lead, with the help of the local government, the youth, and among
other actors. Network of cooperatives, family enterprises, and small businesses
should be the building blocks of this Economy. This will motivate the creation of a
concrete platform, founded on a solidarity network, in providing for the urgent
needs of the communities such as food, health, housing, education, etc.

These are the underpinnings of the People’s Economy. However, it would not be possible
without its five (5) pillars: the solidarity of the Filipinos, the strong sense of nationalism imbued by the history and our national heroes like Hermano Puli, GomBurZa, Andres Bonifacio, Jose Rizal, Antonio Luna and among other heroes over time. The spirit of Filipino Nationalism urges us Filipinos to stand against poverty, foreign aggression, and the abusers of power. There must be a pro-Filipino government in all streams – from barangay, municipality, provincial, to national.


Together, we must pour all our efforts to push for socio-economic and political justice and
strongly condemn the moral bankruptcy of these oligarchic few.


Mabuhay ang Pilipino!

FREEDOM FROM DEBT COALITION
13 Mabait Street, Teachers Village East, Diliman, Quezon City
Website: www.fdcphils.org | Email: secretariat@fdcphils.org | Telephone: 8876 0964
Consolidating Consensus, Advancing People’s Struggles and Building Alternatives

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