Last July 25, 2020, youth groups from various sectors & advocacies in went live on Facebook via the Bacolod Youth Alliance to air their sentiments about the different issues afflicting their respective sectors, and calling unto both local and national officials to address such concerns ahead of the president’s State of the Nation Address.

The main concerns highlighted were the controversial Anti-Terror Law, ABS-CBN Shutdown & press freedom, PH Sovereignty and China’s encroachment, inclusive academic freeze, Mass Testing and proper aid to frontliners & marginalized sectors, ending the de-facto Martial Law and human rights abuses in Negros Island, calls to address the concerns of marginalized sectors such as farmers, peasants, indigenous groups, and upholding justice & rule of law.

Groups who participated in the online protest were the Bacolod Youth Alliance, Children for the Optimization and Revitalization of the Environment (CORE), Kabataan Para Sa Karapatan Negros Oreintal, League of Filipino Students Bacolod, Demosisto Hong Kong (via Milktea Alliance Philippines), Student Christian Movement of the Philippines, The Parchment, Tribu Duag, UP Diliman University Student Council, and Youth For Climate Hope.

Academic Freeze & Inclusive Education

John Albert Pagunsan of the Bacolod Youth Alliance and Florence Guzon of the Parchment called unto the Department of Education to recognize the dire state of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and institute academic freeze, or the delay of the commencement of classes, is one policy they are calling for. They are pleading the government to prioritize health response and flattening the curve, instead of the Terror Law and ABS-CBN shutdown, so as to mitigate the effects the pandemic will have on the youth’s education.

Guzon stated that the country is fast approaching the 85,000 prediction of UP scientists, and that children are more susceptible to the virus. Despite students calling for DepED to address the vulnerability concerns of the youth, especially for those without economic privilege, he stated that the administration has remained resolute in their stand.

The Parchment also expounded on the different difficulties being faced from economical to developmental by their fellow constituents when trying to prepare for online learning or even “dynamic modules”, stating that inequality amongst students will only worsen.

The youth are also calling unto DepEd to still give basic salaries to teachers, being government employees and frontliners, so as to ensure the nations’ academe will be able to make it through the pandemic.

Anti-Terror Law and its effect on the Youth

Elmeer Calimpos, chairperson of the Children Optimization for the Revitalization of the Environment and Global Youth Leader & church advocate, spoke on the effects of the Anti-Terror Law on both youth leaders and environmental defenders. According to them, the definition of terrorism is vague and threatens to undermine constitutional & legal protections of advocates across all causes, leading to weaponizing the law against legitimate dissent against the government. Calimpos also emphasizes that activism should not be regarded as a threat to the state but rather as a legacy from our national heroes to speak out against social injustices, calling unto everyone to be vigilant during these troubling times

End to militaristic solutions and attacks on freedom of expression & association

Alisandra Abaida of Kabataan Para Sa Karapatan Negros Oriental, meanwhile, highlighted the militaristic solutions the Duterte administration has implemented under Memorandum Order 32, where instead of addressing the roots of the problems of farmers and peasants, they have quelled dissent ruthlessly in the area. Rice liberalization, landlessness of farmers in a semi-feudal society, and attacks (both harassment & killings) against union organizers, activists, politicians, community & student leaders still plague the island and around the country.. Red-tagging and surveillance of young leaders both in the island and the country also are problems faced by the youth such as Pride 20, Cabuyao 11, and even members of their own organizations.

She also remarked that the shutdown of ABS-CBN is a big blow to freedom of information as people in far-flung areas merely rely on satellite TV for their source of news and entertainment.

Negros has seen 90+ killings of farmers, academe, journalists, politicians, and community leaders since Memorandum Order 32 (De-facto martial law) was enacted in 2018, with 76 political prisoners, 16 major operations by AFP and PNP against innocent marginalized sectors, and dozens of red-tagging threats & propaganda campaigns against human rights advocates.

COVID-19 Pandemic: Medical not Militaristic Solutions

Anna Cecilia of the League of Filipino Students Bacolod called out the government for having no sympathy for the everyday Filipino, but instead for the country’s big corporations, his cronies in power, and the interests of the US and China. They demand that the government to address the pandemic in a medical manner, to have more social workers and nurses handle the crisis rather than ramping up military presence, to give better protection to front-liners, free mass testing and an overall better health response. Cecilia also stated that the youth are vulnerable as they have to continue their education, but the government has done little to no effort to ensure everyone has the proper equipment to participate in virtual classes or giving teachers financial/technical support to hold classes, stating only 76% of students in the previous year have enrolled for the upcoming school year in the Philippines.

John Dionisio of the University of the Philippines Diliman Student Council, meanwhile, remarked that the COVID pandemic has reached such magnitude because of the neglect of the government, and that they should conduct proper free mass testing, contract tracing, and proper quarantine of infected people rather than a hasty generic lockdown so that people ma return to both work and school. Despite trillions being borrowed by the administration and Duterte’s emergency powers, he remarks that the Filipino masses are yet to feel the positive effects of the admin’s failing policies. He declared that all the money borrowed has merely gone to Duterte’s cronies but not to the nations’ hospitals to improve their medical care facilities and properly compensate medical workers. The Anti-Terror Law and E.O. 70 were also accused of being policies merely to expand Malacanang’s grip on dissenters and critics of the government, and repress minority groups for the sake of “economic gain”

Cecilia also emphasized that 7.3 million Filipinos were recorded to be unemployed last April, however, the Duterte administration has prioritized instead the Terror Law and shutdown of ABS-CBN & threatening dissenters across the country.

Environment and Climate: “The Earth is Not Healing”

Krishna Ariola of Youth for Climate Hope brought light unto the worsening climate crisis that still persists despite the pandemic. According to her, Negros Island is a biodiversity hotspot with its terrestrial and marine protected areas, “organic bowl of Asia”, and the renewable energy hub of the Philippines. Despite having enough energy to power the whole island, dirty fossil fuels are still being pushed by the administration. In the middle of the pandemic, she declared that corporations are seizing the opportunity to continue their projects as they know progressive groups, the masses, and environmental defenders’ operations are paralyzed and economically deprived

Ariola also accused corporations of negotiating the future of the youth for the sake of profit. She states the youth work hard to attain a better future, and will not allow greedy capitalists and a neglectful government to jeopardize it. Youth for Climate Hope calls unto everyone to stand with them, with both the youth and the environment, to take back our future being put on the line.

Fighting back Chinese imperialism

The Milktea Alliance of the Philippines, meanwhile, called unto Filipinos to reassert our rightful jurisdiction to the West Philippine Sea, resist the entry of giant Chinese entities in controlling our country’s various infrastructures & resources such as electricity, media, mining, dredging, water, and the like, hold POGOs and illegal Mainland Chinese activity accountable, as well as supporting other countries in resisting the fascist Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that not only fails to live up to its name but is encroaching into the freedoms & rights of their own people and around the world.

Jeffrey Ngo from Demosisto, a pro-democracy organization in Hong Kong, declared Hong Kong’s support to Filipinos fighting the Anti-Terror Law, stating that both Beijing and Malacanang are using the law to silence dissent and opposition, calling unto other Asian neighbors to do the same and resist together against China’s tyranny.

SOGIE Equality and tyranny v.s. gender minority sectors

Ria Locsin of Tribu Duag called out the misogynistic and oppressive patriarchal tropes that have encouraged harassment & violence against women & LGBTQ+ throughout the years, and especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic, citing instances of authorities publicly humiliating LGBTQ+ individuals during lockdown and sexist remarks of the government & authorities. She also called out that there is only one HIV testing center for the entire island, and the various Duterte-enablist conservative groups that crackdown on Reproductive Health Laws and gender equality but remain silent on human rights. The LGBTQ+ organization also emphasized the SOGIE Equality protects people of all genders, and works to provide minorities safe spaces. She emphasizes that LGBTQ+ youth are the most vulnerable as they are more prone to be exposed to violence, homelessness, discrimination, sexual harassment, and denial of medical care.

Youth are the “antithesis of the times”

Jericho Trio of the Student Christian Movement-UPV says the place of the youth , especially in times of the crisis, is not only within the four corners of the classroom, but it is also amongst the marginalized sectors of society, and advocating for a better world for all. He called out as well the Department of Education for not ensuring a safe educational environment for students, and the plight of Lumad children as their schools are shutdown due to being tagged “subversive”, families of jeepney drivers, farmers, peasants, and other minority groups during the pandemic. He says that the SCM-UPV calls unto all people of the Church and the youth, whatever denomination, to join in fighting for justice and equality for all.