DAVAO CITY – Various progressive groups here called on President Marcos Jr. to consider the nine-point people’s agenda that seek to advance the workers’ and people’s rights.
During the People’s SONA 2022 protest assembly at the Freedom Park on Monday, John Paul Dizon, secretary general of Kilusang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao Region (KMU-SMR), said that they would continue to push for long-term solutions to major problems in the country.
Dizon said that they want a pro-people development for the country and its people to ensure that the majority of the Filipinos would not be left behind.
The nine-point people’s agenda include addressing inflation and providing tax relief to consumers; reviving the agriculture and making food production a priority; making land reform and national industrialization as the foundation of pro-people economic development; making the defense and promotion of human rights a key commitment of the Philippine government; adopting a clear government policy to fight disinformation, protect freedom of expression and press freedom; instituting a democratic, ethical and accountable governance; providing free healthcare and basic social services for the people by realigning funds from wasteful and unnecessary items; upholding national sovereignty and an independent foreign policy; and ensuring environmental protection, rehabilitation and balanced use of the country’s natural resources.
Around 50 rallyists from different groups, including Bayan Muna Partylist, KMU-SMR, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)-SMR, Gabriela-SMR, Anakbayan-SMR, Kabataan Partylist, Transmission Piston, ACT Davao, and Kadayamay participated in the protest rally held in time of the 1st State of the National Address (SONA) of Marcos Jr.
Dizon said the groups particularly demanded for the end of contractualization in the country and prioritization of a pro-worker security tenure bill that is being pushed by the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives.
Dizon added they want the abolition of regionalized minimum wage and urged the government to set the national minimum wage that is as close as possible to the daily family living wage of P1180.
He said the Marcos administration should prioritize genuine agrarian reform to strengthen the agricultural sector and, as such, it should distribute the idle lands to farmers and provide them assistance such as farm inputs and free irrigation.
He believed that helping the farmers would lessen dependence on importation of rice, particularly from Thailand and Vietnam.
He said the government should bring back history subjects in schools and ensure the safety of students once in-person classes resume.
He said Marcos should reopen peace negotiations between the government (GRP) and National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), which were cancelled during the term of former President Duterte.