FQS: Remembering the Storm

Remembering the First Quarter Storm of 1970 demands a relearning of its lessons and an unlearning of preconceived notions about the current state of affairs. To create a future we all deserve, today’s generation must not forget the past.

BY RONALYN OLEA
Bulatlat.com

The month of January must not pass without remembering a storm.

Characterized, among others, by 50,000 to 100,000-strong rallies, the First Quarter Storm of 1970 is perhaps one of the most romanticized periods in the history of the youth movement in the Philippines. That the FQS of 1970 etched a lasting impression to the nation’s psyche is non-debatable. 

Aptly termed the Second Propaganda Movement, the FQS echoed the need for radical societal change. 

From a small study circle composed of young intellectuals who used Marxism, Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought in analyzing the ills of Philippine society, the words imperyalismo (imperialism), pyudalismo (feudalism) and burukrata kapitalismo (bureaucrat capitalism) became popular chants.  The demand to dismantle these three basic problems never came without a means. Thus, in many protest actions, the people shout “Sagot sa kahirapan, digmang bayan! (Solution to poverty, people’s war!)”

The situation then

A social volcano is about to erupt.

The government is burdened with a huge debt. Unemployment rate is high.  Prices of basic commodities soar. Purchasing power is low. Corruption is rampant.

While the military is pampered with higher allocation in the national budget, a measly amount is spared for education and other social services.

A civic action group of Filipino soldiers is sent to Vietnam to support the American war of aggression there. In Clark and Subic where U.S. bases are located, Filipinos are being shot like boars.

The situation is fertile for a revolution. The decaying societal system and fascism under the Marcos regime have driven the people to exhaust all possible forms of struggle.

By 1968, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is re-established. The following year would see the founding of its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).

In the cities, meanwhile, the student movement surges forward a few years after the founding of the Kabataang Makabayan (Nationalist Youth, in 1964). Similar progressive student groups are formed. The campus press is radicalized. And so are other moderate youth organizations.

From parochial issues like tuition increases and stinking toilets, the students begin to link these issues to national and international affairs.

The U.S. Embassy becomes a familiar venue for rallies and even more familiar is the call for the “Yankees” to go home. The 1971 Constitutional Convention meets widespread opposition.

The Metropolitan Command (Metrocom) unleashes brutal force on protesters.  A student of Lyceum, Enrique Sta. Brigida, is mauled to death.  The chant “Makibaka, huwag matakot!” (Fight, be not afraid!) becomes even more emotional.

But the protesters are never cowed. Bigger and bolder actions followed under the leadership of Movement for a Democratic Philippines (MDP).

President Ferdinand Marcos would later call it a Maoist insurgency and use it to justify the imposition of Martial Law.

The seeds of the FQS of 1970 continue to be planted. Many KM members decide to go underground, organizing in the cities and in the countryside.

Continuing relevance

Today, the three basic problems of the Filipino people remain, even worsened with globalization.

The deregulation and privatization of vital industries have resulted in higher costs of water and electricity rates. Oil prices continue to increase. Tuition and other fees continue to increase. Military expenditures and foreign debt servicing comprise a substantial part of the national budget even if done at the expense of education and other basic social services.

Once more

Again, the country has a president who is subservient to U.S. interests. With the approval of the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA), the whole nation is turned into a virtual U.S. military base.

Again, there is the impending U.S. war on Iraq and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has pledged her government’s unwavering support for the Bush administration.

Again, the armed conflict is confronted with a militarist solution. Progressives and revolutionaries are tagged as terrorists.

The lessons of history are clear. Today’s generation must not forget. Bulatlat.com

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