Bulatlat - The Philippines's alternative weekly newsmagazine

This story was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 13, May 8-14, 2005

Girl Takes Ka Amado to Labor Rally

One person stood among the array of speakers who denounced political repression and called for the ouster of President Macapagal-Arroyo during the Labor Day rally at Liwasang Bonifacio last week. The speaker – an eight-year-old girl – recited a poem of National Artist Amado V. Hernandez, holding the thousands of people spellbound for two minutes or so.

By Lino D. Interino III
Contributed to Bulatlat

Clad in red shirt, blue-green checkered pants and black bandana, she was called to the stage by the two emcees to recite a poem during the 25th anniversary of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU or May First Movement) noon of May 1 at Liwasang Bonifacio, Manila. In the scorching heat, her strong voice and the mighty content of her poem entitled “Enrique Sta. Brigida: Paghahatid sa Immortalidad” stirred up the emotion of the crowd to cry out their feeling of being “repressed” by the government. The poem was written by national artist, Amado V. Hernandez.

With her young voice, she recited thus, “Iisang higanteng nagbabalikwas na paa’y/Central Luzon at ang ulo’y/Sierra Madre, nagsisigaw sa sansinukob:/Makibaka, huwag matakot,/Hanggang sa ang bulok na sosyedad ay bumagsak at/Madurog!” (…A giant restive, whose feet/Are Central Luzon and whose head/Is the Sierra Madre, shouting to the universe:/Fight, fear not/Until the rotten society/Is felled and crushed!)

The 10,000-strong crowd gave her a thunderous applause at the end of her two-minute recitation.

She is Caryl, an 8-year old girl and incoming Grade 3 pupil in Bulacan province, just north of Manila. Like a typical girl, she loves playing and doing things kids normally do. Her favorite pastime is watching television. But, unlike the TV junk shows many children usually watch, she indulges herself to watching news programs.

“Mahilig po ako maglaro at manood ng TV pero kadalasan po balita ang pinapanood ko” (I like playing and watching TV but I usually watch news programs), she said.

“Minsan po nakikita ko sa TV ‘yung problema na kinakaharap natin tulad ng pagtaas ng presyo ng langis at mga bilihin” (Sometimes I see on TV the problems that we face nowadays such as the rise of oil prices and commodities), she added.

Rally

Bulatlat asked Caryl what she understands about activism and why at a very young age she is joining a rally. But the girl, fidgeting like many children her age, answered with conviction.

“Kasi po masyado na pong nahihirapan ang ating mamamayan. Mataas na ang presyo ng mga bilihin at langis”(Because the people are suffering too much. The prices of oil and commodities are going up), she said.

Asked what she wants the government to do, she answered, “Babaan po ang presyo ng gasolina at mga bilihin at dagdagan ang sahod ng mga manggagawa ng P125”(The prices of gasoline and commodities must be lowered and workers’ wage should increase by P125 [$2.30])

“Nagtatrabaho po kasi ang mga manggagawa para mabuhay ang pamilya nila at hindi upang magpakapagod lamang”(They’re working because they want to make a living for their families and not only to get tired), she added.

Witness

At a very young age, Caryl is witness to the sufferings of the people, particularly in Central Luzon. She saw how the workers at Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac suffered so much, exerting too much effort on their jobs but getting a low pay.

Although she has not personally gone to Hacienda Luisita where seven striking workers were massacred on Nov. 16 last year, she has felt and witnessed the cane workers’ plight after watching a feature documentary about them.

“Napanood ko po sa video ‘yung hirap ng mga manggagawa sa Hacienda Luisita lalo na po yung nag-alsa ang mga mangagawa doon. Marami po ang namatay doon. Naawa po ako lalo na dun sa pamilya ng mga namatay” (I saw on video the sufferings of the workers in Hacienda Luisita especially when they protested. Many died. I felt pity for them especially to the families of those who were killed.), she said.

Caryl said her family went to the interment of those killed in Hacienda Luisita to extend their condolences.

Young age

Caryl traces her social awakening to her father Roy, who in college joined the League of Filipino Students (LFS) and later the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (AGML or Alliance of Farmers in Central Luzon).

Roy told Bulatlat he joined LFS because he saw that not all people could afford to study. “Although education is supposed to be right, not all youth can enjoy that right especially when you don’t have money to be able to go to school,” he added.

At an early age of 4, Caryl was already being asked by father to recite poems for rallies of AMGL in Central Luzon.

Somehow she seems to have already tracked her future when she grows up. “Gusto ko pong maging abogado para maipagtanggol ko ang mga mahihirap”(I want to become a lawyer in order to defend the poor), she says when asked what she wants to become.

“Marami po kasi sa atin ang mga naaapi at nalalapastangan ang karapatang pantao kaya gusto ko po silang ipagtanggol.”(Many people are oppressed and their rights are violated, that’s why I want to defend them.)

Asked what she can say about President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, she pointedly answered that she doesn’t like her. The President Arroyo is “causing too much pain” to the people, she said.

She wants the President to “step down.” What will she say if she meets Arroyo in person? “Masama kang tao!” (You’re bad!), she said. Bulatlat

The poem, Enrique Sta. Brigida, To Immortality in English, was written in 1970 at the onset of the First Quarter Storm. Amado V. Hernandez wrote it as a tribute to seven student activists slain in the “Battle of Mendiola” and an open call for revolutionary armed struggle.

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