Taking it to the streets
So! The anti-Sona rally, biggest event on the Filipino left's calender of the year. Foil to one of the biggest political events of the year: the State Of the Nation Address (Sona). This year the stakes are higher on both sides because this will be (fingers crossed) President Gloria Arroyos 9th and final Sona and amid rumours of her finding ways to change the constitution through charter-change (Cha cha) in order to extend her reign of power, people (not necessarily from the left) are very anxious to see her on her way.
This is what my Filipino friend from the book club had to say about it.
"80% of income goes to servicing debt, much more of which has been taken on during Gloria's term. Imagine trying to run a house when 80% of your income is going towards dept repayment, your household would fall apart - its amazing that our country hasn't fallen apart, maybe that can be Gloria's legacy -having held the country together despite the debt.
It should be one of the biggest rallies ever. Most people are going to make sure that Gloria leaves.”
A selection of other reasons for wishing to see the end of Gloria's Presidency, as given to me in a press kit by the organisers, are as follows:
Human rights abuses have definitely spiked during Gloria's presidency( but I'm not sure that she can be blamed for all the charges laid against her, some feel endemic);
$24 million - estimated annual amount of exposed corruption scandals involving the Arroyo family and close political allies since 2001;
$ 2 billion - estimated amount that gets lost to corruption in the Philippines each year;
28% - amount of debt interest payments as a percentage of annual spending of the Arroyo administration;
6%- Amount of government spending for housing as a percentage of total spending;
1% - Amount of government spending for health as a percentage of total spending;
4 million - number of jobless workers every year since 2001;
1,013 - number of victims of extra-judicial killings from January 2001 to March 2008; (government has these figures at only in the 200s - due to overseas pressures has had to start investigating these killings but most believe they haven't done nearly enough)
1036 - number of victims of torture ding the same period;
202 - number of victims of voluntary disappearances;
This is the "colour story" I wrote for the newspaper but they didn't have room for it. Its not formal news style but not quite my voice either:
“Cha Cha. Gloria. Ibasura”.
The crowds chanted out slogans and surged forward, a colourful mass of flag waving protesters dotted with snack vendors, some standing round chatting or holding babies, others dancing wildly to the rock music on stage, but all there for one reason - “Cha Cha Gloria, Ibasura”.
It was my first ever Filipino rally and held outside what protesters hoped would be President Arroyos' last State of the Nation Address (SONA). It was one of the biggest ever and also the wettest.
Organisers estimated over 12000 were in attendance.
Police who numbered 5000 themselves had a more conservative estimate of 9700.
The rain seemed to spur some present to dance and flag-wave even harder, while others found a double use for their banners and used them for shelter.
I had been warned about how dangerous Filipino protests could be, but apart from the chaotic burning of Arroyo's effigy, there was nothing “third world” about this rally.
In fact it felt like a big street party with sudden bursts of energy as trails of matching flags jostled forward like charging knights whooping in the rain.
It was as though, in true Filipino spirit, the protesters had decided if they were going to protest a serious issue of national significance, they might as well have fun doing it.
Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr, told me they had been organizing the SONA rally for even longer than Arroyo's nine year presidency and apart from a lack of rubbish bins, they appeared to have it down to a fine art.
The impressive collection of bands playing original music, artists and speakers all performed on stage without a hitch and the massive down-pour of rain didn't cause any technical problems.
I was glad to be out here in the artist filled, carnival atmosphere of Bayan's “alternative version of SONA” rather than stuck inside the buttoned down congress.
Some of the artists present had gone to so much work
I bought a hand-made badge from a university students' cultural group whose mission it was to “expose social realities through art” and admired the work of a group who had embroidered a 30 foot patchwork flag for the occasion.
There was a photography exhibition mounted on a fence under umbrellas and one man from the Kadamay indigenous organization wheeled an effigy holding a torch aloft which he said was both a “call to every Filipino to mobilize and a message to the government to listen to every Filipino”.
However the stars of the day were the Ugat Lahi artists collective who have been making giant effigies of Arroyo for the rally for the past nine years.
Together with students and professional artists, Iggy Rodrigues, Ben Calubayan and Max Santiago spent a month creating a twelve foot “Gloria Forever” effigy of a rotting, maggot incrusted Gloria riding a “Cha Cha” tank, being fed from a drip painted like the U.S. Flag.
It was when the time came for the effigy burning that I remembered I wasn't in the West, with our strict safety codes, anymore and I suddenly felt that anything could happen.
Their was a palpable anarchic energy in the air as the band on stage played heavy metal and organizers struggled to keep the cheering crowd at bay as Gloria was doused with petrol and lit.
Unfortunately, with all the rain, the paper machet didn't catch fire very well and remained intact, smoke billowing evilly out of Gloria's head while protesters pelted her with rotten food.
Just like the real Gloria, her effigy wasn't going down without a fight.
There were even casualties in the struggle as one enthusiastic man threw petrol at the effigy and caught on fire when the flames sprang up.
Unlike in New Zealand where we have the “stop, drop and roll” fire safety message drummed into us since childhood, the burning man had no idea what to do and ran into the crowd flapping his arms wildly while a scrum of photographers descended on him trying to get their shot.
Undeterred, more petrol was used until Gloria was burning nicely.
When just a blackened outline remained the crowd went back to dancing to the music with an insane energy.
Despite another stage being set up on non-legal protest space on the other side of the freeway and protesters on that side standing waving their banners directly in front of police ranks, the police held their lines and the protesters didn't advance.
Having observed rallies around the world, this was one of the most energized yet peaceful ones I've been to and the “nationwide send off” for Arroyo on her trip to the U.S, will also serve as a memorable sendoff for me in my final week in Manila.
This is what my Filipino friend from the book club had to say about it.
"80% of income goes to servicing debt, much more of which has been taken on during Gloria's term. Imagine trying to run a house when 80% of your income is going towards dept repayment, your household would fall apart - its amazing that our country hasn't fallen apart, maybe that can be Gloria's legacy -having held the country together despite the debt.
It should be one of the biggest rallies ever. Most people are going to make sure that Gloria leaves.”
A selection of other reasons for wishing to see the end of Gloria's Presidency, as given to me in a press kit by the organisers, are as follows:
Human rights abuses have definitely spiked during Gloria's presidency( but I'm not sure that she can be blamed for all the charges laid against her, some feel endemic);
$24 million - estimated annual amount of exposed corruption scandals involving the Arroyo family and close political allies since 2001;
$ 2 billion - estimated amount that gets lost to corruption in the Philippines each year;
28% - amount of debt interest payments as a percentage of annual spending of the Arroyo administration;
6%- Amount of government spending for housing as a percentage of total spending;
1% - Amount of government spending for health as a percentage of total spending;
4 million - number of jobless workers every year since 2001;
1,013 - number of victims of extra-judicial killings from January 2001 to March 2008; (government has these figures at only in the 200s - due to overseas pressures has had to start investigating these killings but most believe they haven't done nearly enough)
1036 - number of victims of torture ding the same period;
202 - number of victims of voluntary disappearances;
This is the "colour story" I wrote for the newspaper but they didn't have room for it. Its not formal news style but not quite my voice either:
“Cha Cha. Gloria. Ibasura”.
The crowds chanted out slogans and surged forward, a colourful mass of flag waving protesters dotted with snack vendors, some standing round chatting or holding babies, others dancing wildly to the rock music on stage, but all there for one reason - “Cha Cha Gloria, Ibasura”.
It was my first ever Filipino rally and held outside what protesters hoped would be President Arroyos' last State of the Nation Address (SONA). It was one of the biggest ever and also the wettest.
Organisers estimated over 12000 were in attendance.
Police who numbered 5000 themselves had a more conservative estimate of 9700.
The rain seemed to spur some present to dance and flag-wave even harder, while others found a double use for their banners and used them for shelter.
I had been warned about how dangerous Filipino protests could be, but apart from the chaotic burning of Arroyo's effigy, there was nothing “third world” about this rally.
In fact it felt like a big street party with sudden bursts of energy as trails of matching flags jostled forward like charging knights whooping in the rain.
It was as though, in true Filipino spirit, the protesters had decided if they were going to protest a serious issue of national significance, they might as well have fun doing it.
Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr, told me they had been organizing the SONA rally for even longer than Arroyo's nine year presidency and apart from a lack of rubbish bins, they appeared to have it down to a fine art.
The impressive collection of bands playing original music, artists and speakers all performed on stage without a hitch and the massive down-pour of rain didn't cause any technical problems.
I was glad to be out here in the artist filled, carnival atmosphere of Bayan's “alternative version of SONA” rather than stuck inside the buttoned down congress.
Some of the artists present had gone to so much work
I bought a hand-made badge from a university students' cultural group whose mission it was to “expose social realities through art” and admired the work of a group who had embroidered a 30 foot patchwork flag for the occasion.
There was a photography exhibition mounted on a fence under umbrellas and one man from the Kadamay indigenous organization wheeled an effigy holding a torch aloft which he said was both a “call to every Filipino to mobilize and a message to the government to listen to every Filipino”.
However the stars of the day were the Ugat Lahi artists collective who have been making giant effigies of Arroyo for the rally for the past nine years.
Together with students and professional artists, Iggy Rodrigues, Ben Calubayan and Max Santiago spent a month creating a twelve foot “Gloria Forever” effigy of a rotting, maggot incrusted Gloria riding a “Cha Cha” tank, being fed from a drip painted like the U.S. Flag.
It was when the time came for the effigy burning that I remembered I wasn't in the West, with our strict safety codes, anymore and I suddenly felt that anything could happen.
Their was a palpable anarchic energy in the air as the band on stage played heavy metal and organizers struggled to keep the cheering crowd at bay as Gloria was doused with petrol and lit.
Unfortunately, with all the rain, the paper machet didn't catch fire very well and remained intact, smoke billowing evilly out of Gloria's head while protesters pelted her with rotten food.
Just like the real Gloria, her effigy wasn't going down without a fight.
There were even casualties in the struggle as one enthusiastic man threw petrol at the effigy and caught on fire when the flames sprang up.
Unlike in New Zealand where we have the “stop, drop and roll” fire safety message drummed into us since childhood, the burning man had no idea what to do and ran into the crowd flapping his arms wildly while a scrum of photographers descended on him trying to get their shot.
Undeterred, more petrol was used until Gloria was burning nicely.
When just a blackened outline remained the crowd went back to dancing to the music with an insane energy.
Despite another stage being set up on non-legal protest space on the other side of the freeway and protesters on that side standing waving their banners directly in front of police ranks, the police held their lines and the protesters didn't advance.
Having observed rallies around the world, this was one of the most energized yet peaceful ones I've been to and the “nationwide send off” for Arroyo on her trip to the U.S, will also serve as a memorable sendoff for me in my final week in Manila.