THE PHILIPPINES IS NOT FOR SALE! THE WEEK OF PROTEST AGAINST MARCOS JR. & APEC
From November 14-17, Marcos Jr. was in San Francisco to participate in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting. This was his 18th trip abroad in just 16 months of office, bringing with him the largest Philippine delegation yet.
The Marcos administration promised to deliver on “clean energy,” “digitalization,” and “food security” to create a “stable, comfortable, and peaceful life” for Filipinos.
In reality, the deals Marcos brokered during his trip will only lead to more of the same: the sell out of the Philippines and Filipino people to the highest bidder.
The deals made between the Philippines and its highest bidders focused on tech:
AI weather reporting from Atmo that would purportedly “boost resilience”
Satellite connectivity for internet throughout the archipelago with Astranis and Orbits
A deal with social media giant TikTok to provide a platform for small-time sellers to sell products
A deal between energy company Meralco and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation.
This is coming on the heels of the 123 Nuclear agreement with the US, which would allow for US export of nuclear tech, equipment, and material to the Philippines.
While on the surface these deals seem to be beneficial for Filipinos, they are merely a vehicle for the Marcos administration to continue to pin Philippine industries on foreign subservience. The Philippines would then become a testing ground for new, untested technologies and products.
These deals rely on foreign investment without an actual plan to develop Philippine industry as the bedrock of a stable economy.
This same failed neoliberal investment policy has already been tried for the last 40+ years with no positive economic impact. If anything, the economic crisis runs deeper than ever.
During his stay, Marcos also met with a select group of Filipinos hand-picked by the consulates. His speeches to them were not only full of hot air, but downright offensive given how out of touch his understanding of the real conditions of overseas Filipinos was.
“Kings and queens of overtime”
Many Filipino workers, especially caregivers, are victims of wage theft when not paid for their overtime. Other workers, like those at Jollibee, are forced to work over their shift without compensation.
“Hindi ko na kailangan ibenta [ang mga Pilipino]”
Filipino workers continue to be trafficked by the hundreds. There is no justification for using words like these. The Filipino people are people, not commodities to be sold.
On hate crimes against Filipinos
Acknowledging that Filipinos experience hate crimes and then saying “wala tayong magagawa,” or applauding the Philippine embassy and consulates for helping Filipinos is a slap in the face for families like the Roques and Arriola-Ochengcos. It took months of grassroots community pressure to get them assistance to nationals funding, and even then only a measly $200 was given to each victim.
“Siguro lahat kayo mayaman na”
The remittances sent by overseas Filipinos are a symbol of the sacrifices they make to keep their families fed. Filipinos in the US struggle paycheck to paycheck and get into massive amounts of debt just to keep their families fed. The remittances sent by overseas Filipinos are a symbol of the sacrifices they must take — not of everyone’s richness — precisely because the government cannot care for the people.
Marcos’ promise to make working abroad just one option will never be accomplished if he continues to sell out the Philippines via the very deals he just brokered at APEC.
But the Filipino community did not just let Marcos’ sell-out slide.
We joined the thousands of people from across the country for the No to APEC Coalition’s counter summit and counter mobilizations that called for People and Planet over Profit and Plunder.
We mounted protests every single day of Marcos’ stay in San Francisco, bravely confronting his convoy and letting him know that if there is no justice, he will not have peace.
We continued to protest Marcos wherever he went, including his stops in Los Angeles and Honolulu after the APEC Leaders’ Meeting.
All of these efforts are part of larger campaigns of grassroots organizations that represent the most exploited and marginalized Filipinos — the very same Filipinos who Marcos refused to meet and even ran away from during his stay.
We will continue to campaign for genuine solutions to sustainable economic development, which begins by finally putting people over profit, something the Marcos regime will never do.
MARCOS IS NOT WELCOME HERE!
THE PHILIPPINES IS NOT FOR SALE!
