By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
“We are condemning the violent dispersal by authorities here and elsewhere,” Bea Arellano of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap said, “While there are still no decent jobs available for the Filipino people, the government should allow vendors to sell, even on sidewalks, to earn a living.”
NEWS RELEASE 01 Sep 2010 The urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) reiterated its warning to the Aquino administration against accepting further foreign loans to fund its anti-poverty programs, saying that this will cause the country greater harm in the long run. News reports have confirmed that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is…
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Justice, jobs, immediate relief, and a review of the government’s housing program to make it more affordable are the most pressing concerns of the urban poor, said Kadamay.
By ANDREA ZARAH DAYAO and JENNY DE VENECIA
Long-battered not only by storms but also by extreme poverty, the urban poor are asking presidential candidates and the next administration for immediate relief and long-term solutions to their problems.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
The demands of the urban poor communities included employment, housing projects and other pro-poor programs, which Kadamay pasted on a tarpaulin bearing photos of Philippine presidents since Marcos. All them, the group said, have failed to deliver on the demands of the urban poor.
By MARYA SALAMAT
Although Douglas Dumanon hailed from a middle-class family, he joined and served without hesitation the struggle of the toiling masses, especially that of the workers and the urban poor.
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Two activists have complained that the Philippine military has been harassing them, the latest in a series of similar intimidations apparently aimed at forcing activists to spy against militant groups for the armed forces.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
As if the trauma of losing their homes and belongings were not enough, evacuees at the PhilSports Arena, formerly known as the Ultra, faced more problems as the government seemingly backtracked on its promise to relocate the displaced families. Worse, the Pasig government allegedly had to use underhanded means to force the refugees to leave.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Days after Ondoy struck, the government declared that it would no longer allow these poor Filipinos to return to their shattered homes.
Members of workers’ groups and other cause-oriented organizations came in their thousands, from all over Metro Manila and adjacent provinces, to mark Labor Day by denouncing the US for causing the country’s current economic troubles and demanding for job security and temporary relief. They also reiterated their demand for a legislated wage hike, which was first put forward in 1999.