People’s organizations present list of demands to gov’t, NDFP panels

Long-term solutions

Bishop Modesto Villasanta, convenor of interfaith alliance Inpeace Mindanao, shared to the delegates the Mindanao Peace Agenda formulated by various organizations during an assembly last February.

Bishop Modesto Villasanta of Inpeace Mindanao presents the Mindanao Peace Agenda during the second national assembly of Pilgrims for Peace.(Photo by Ronalyn V. Olea / bulatlat.com)

The Mindanao Peace Agenda are as follows: 1) implement genuine agrarian reform; 2) achieve national industrialization and genuine, ecologically-sound development; 3) uphold social, economic and democratic rights; 4) respect the rights of national minorities; and, 5) adopt nationalist, scientific and pro-people culture.

For her part, Lana Linaban, secretary general of Gabriela, insisted that there is a need to uphold national sovereignty in the Filipino peoples economic and political life, and freedom from all forms of foreign domination.

Linaban also said: “Push for a self-reliant economy that is primarily geared toward the people’s needs and anchored on national industrialization, gives equal value to the role of women in production, and responds to specific needs of women at work, such as improvement of maternity benefits, provision of child care services and elimination of violence against women in the workplace.”

Like Migrante, Gabriela wants to put an end to the labor export especially as it “takes advantage of women’s cheap labor and makes them vulnerable to abuse.” Agham’s Tapang said a clear industrial policy is needed to build domestic industries at all levels.

Response

Baylosis listened to all the presentations and welcomed the proposals of the different sectors. He said these will help enrich the draft being prepared by their committee.

As to the GPH, Dayanghirang said control of oil prices is not covered by Caser. The moratorium on mining, Dayanghirang said, is a “major issue” but he added that the NDFP is not against mining per se. The proposals, Dayanghirang said, may be discussed in the asset reform section being prepared by the GPH.

Dayanghirang said he will present the committee’s draft to the GPH panel and then to the cabinet cluster for approval. “I cannot speak for them,” Dayanghirang said.