Transcript The People`s Response

The People’s Response
Presentation by Bayan
Global Financial and Economic
Crisis: Exposing Capitalism,
Looking for Alternatives
DLSU, Taft Ave., Manila
9 February 2009
“Supercrisis”, looming “Greater Depression”
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Exposed supposed drivers of RP growth
like export of goods & labor as hollow,
unreliable, & unsustainable
GMA administration – unable & unwilling
to undertake radical shift in economic
model
“Firewall” against crisis (i.e. VAT) as
illusion – NEDA projection: 800,000 job
losses this year
But the conditions are “favorable”…
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to expose the decaying economic system
& propose genuine alternatives
to affirm the legitimacy & correctness of
the people’s struggle to build a
progressive, self-reliant economy
to rally the people in a movement for
meaningful reforms
Our task to educate & inform
“The displaced workers &
farmers, government
employees, office workers,
small & medium-scale
Filipino business, the
youth, women, urban poor
& other sectors most
affected by the crisis will
only pour out in hundreds
of thousands and even
millions clamoring for
reform if they can
comprehend the historical
& current roots of the
crisis…”
Nationwide ED & information campaign…
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in the universities, urban & rural poor
communities, factories, among the opinion
& policy makers
to spark discussion on the crisis, on its
exploitative & oppressive roots
to generate discussions on what we can
do & demand in terms of short- to longterm reforms
We are not starting from scratch…
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Bayan’s campaign on removing the 12%
VAT on oil & power
NO DEAL! Movement – to stop unequal
economic agreements (i.e. JPEPA)
“Tanggol Trabaho” of COURAGE
MIGRANTE on genuine pro-OFW relief
measures & decent jobs at home
KMU on decent wage hike, against labor
contractualization
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KMP with Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill
PISTON to repeal the Oil Deregulation Law
GABRIELA for price control of basic goods
& services
LFS, Anakbayan on support for public
education
… and many others
Building up on the people’s existing
campaigns
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Intensity of crisis challenges us to match it
with even greater resolve to struggle
… to bring about an even bigger & broader
people’s movement
… towards establishing a common people’s
agenda
… through fora, direct consultations,
discussion groups, etc
But most important, it should translate to
concrete actions & campaigns
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Mass signature drive
Coordinated protest
actions & other
activities
Alliance or coalition,
etc
… & linking with the
peoples’ struggles in
other countries
Our fighting
demands for
economic relief,
survival, & longterm reforms:
Ensuring a propeople &
nationalist
response to the
crisis
On jobs & benefits
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Ensure easy access to social security
benefits and expand unemployment
benefits for displaced workers
Provide immediate & easy availment of cash
assistance for displaced OFWs
Stop the retrenchment of government workers
Stop the erosion of wages & protect jobs
against flexible labor policies & unjust
retrenchment
On taxes & debt
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Full implementation of tax breaks for
minimum wage earners & their
equivalent in the public sector
Removing VAT on oil, power, food items & other
basic goods & services
Moratorium on debt payments (to include
cancellation of odious debt)
Tax break & financial assistance package for
Filipino SMEs
Crackdown on government corruption, wastage,
& smuggling, & re-imposition of tariffs
On prices
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Imposition of price control
mechanisms; repeal deregulation
policies on oil & power
No new increases in utilities such as water,
power & transportation
Freeze in tuition increases in both public &
private schools, repeal deregulation of tuition
Ensure availability of affordable food, esp. rice;
bring back to market subsidized NFA rice @
P18.25/kilo; increase domestic rice
procurement of NFA & ensure farm gate price @
P17/kilo
On liberalization
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Stop bilateral FTAs, stop JPEPA; no new
commitments in WTO & stop
implementation of WTO agreements
Oppose moves for more investment
liberalization such as through HR 737 (100%
foreign ownership of land)
Stop neoliberal policy of trade liberalization;
support local production by restoring tariffs
On the domestic economy
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Orient the economy towards
production for domestic consumption
& self-reliance
Provide incentives & support domestic
industries; uphold policy of national
industrialization; & prioritize establishment of
national industries
Implement genuine land reform; spur
development in the countryside; deal decisively
with rural unemployment & poverty
“The people must
collectively fight
back. It is where
our greatest and
only hope to get
out of the raging
crisis lies”.
Thank you!
For more information about
Bayan & our campaigns,
log on to www.bayan.ph
4 F Erythina Bldg # 1 Maaralin St.
Bgy. Central, Quezon City
Telefax 435-6930