Spouses Federico and Nelly Intise are staff of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) from Maa, Davao City. They were together on October 26, 2006 in Calumpan, General Santos City when they were abducted and disappeared by suspected state forces.

Read more:

Daughter hopes to still find missing parents

Nelly Intise on Ulinig exhibit

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The Super El Niño, land-use conversion and human rights abuses are among the key issues aggravating the plight of rural folk. 

Farmers from Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon expressed deep frustration by the state’s suggestion to use buckets to collect water. They decried the lack of government aid like subsidies for the dry spells, leaving many without food to sustain themselves and their families. 

Other issues they highlighted are the Pax Silica initiative and various renewable energy projects which will convert their farmland into infrastructure which they said “will serve corporate interests and the US military complex.” 

They condemned the continuing U.S. intervention in many aspects of the nation’s affairs. They vowed to hold protest actions on the upcoming visit of U.S. President Donald Trump,or this year’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) forum. (RVO)

Text and photos by Viggo Sarmago

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Walang maaasahan sa institusyong hindi nagsisilbi sa interes ng mga nasa laylayan.

Patola na, buwaya pa.

Insulto man sa halaman at hayop na hindi hamak na mas may ambag sa pananatili ng kalikasan, naging uso na ang mga terminong pulis patola at pulis buwaya para ilarawan ang kabulukan at kapalpakan ng institusyong dapat na nagsisilbi at nagtatanggol sa mamamayan.

May mga nakaunipormeng wagas kung magpahayag ng kanilang karahasan. Pati mapayapang protesta, pinipigilan. Sinusugod ang barikada. Nang-aaresto nang walang pakundangan. Nanunulak at namamalo ng mga dumadalo sa rally. Walang pakialam kung may humandusay sa kalyeng duguan. Mistulang nawala na ang katinuan dahil sa pagiging utak pulbura.

Sadyang walang pakialam, walang paggalang sa batayang karapatan. Kahit ang mga peryodista, hindi na ligtas sa kalupitan ng pulis. Noong Okt. 19, may peryodistang sinaktan dahil lang nagkober ng protesta ng mga magsasaka sa tapat ng gusali ng Department of Agrarian Reform.

Sinubukan pa siyang arestuhin. Napilitan lang siyang pakawalan dahil napansing maraming nagbibidyo ng nangyari at maraming aktibistang lumalapit para ipaliwanag na peryodista ang kinakaladkad at pinagtutulungan nila.

Nakapagtataka lang na binabaligtad ngayon ng mga pulis ang nangyari. “Initial reports indicate that a verbal altercation occurred involving an individual who identified himself as a member of the media and deployed police personnel. The individual allegedly uttered profane remarks and kicked several police personnel. In response, the officers intervened to prevent further escalation. The individual was subsequently released.”

Kung susuriin ang press release ng mga pulis noong Okt. 20, hindi binanggit na iniwan nilang sugatan ang peryodistang pinagtulungang damputin at kaladkarin. Tila hindi nangyari ang ilang beses na pagsigaw niya ng “Media ako!” habang ipinapakita ang press ID na hindi pinansin ng mga nagbibingi-bingihan at nagbubulag-bulagan.

Basta para sa kanila, may kailangang masampolan para hindi na siya gayahin ng iba pang peryodista. Kahit na hindi nila binanggit ang terminong “chilling effect,” ito pa rin ang nais nilang mangyari para mapatahimik ang midya sa pag-uulat ng mga nangyayari sa lipunan, lalo na sa kanayunan.

Kinikilala at nirerespeto raw ng mga pulis ang kalayaan sa pamamahayag, pati na ang tinatawag nilang “peaceful assembly.” Pero bakit parati silang humihingi ng “permit to rally” para magkaroon ng mga mapayapang pagtitipon? Gayundin ang nangyari sa pagkilos ng mga magsasaka kamakailan. Pinapadaan sa komplikadong burukrasya ang lehitimong pagpapahayag ng saloobin.

Hanggang ngayon, ginagamit pa ring batayan ng represyon ang Batas Pambansa 880 o Public Assembly Act of 1985 na ipinatupad ng diktador na si Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit napapanahon nang ibasura ang batas na itong sinisikil ang batayang karapatan. Kung totoong naglilingkod sa interes ng mamamayan ang mga pulis, dapat na hinahayaan lang nila ang mga mapayapang pagtitipon at hindi nila pagmamalupitan ang mga nagpoprotesta’t peryodista. 

Pero walang maaasahan sa institusyong hindi nagsisilbi sa interes ng mga nasa laylayan. Palibhasa, mas pinapaboran nila ang interes ng mga nasa kapangyarihan. Sadyang may kabulukang nagreresulta sa utak pulburang oryentasyon. Asahang patuloy na lalabanan ang kanilang pandarahas sa mga peryodista’t ordinaryong mamamayan.

Patola na, buwaya pa. Idagdag na rin ang mga salitang marahas at sinungaling. Posible ring tawagin silang kaaway ng kapayapaan. Sa konteksto ng pagpapatuloy ng kanilang masamang gawi, mainam na isang salita na lang ang gamitin. Pasista.

Para makipag-ugnayan sa awtor, pumunta sa https://risingsun.dannyarao.com

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The workers reiterated their demand for a P1,200 (US$18.92) national minimum wage.

CABUYAO CITY — Workers in Southern Tagalog denounced the newly approved wage increase of P25 (US$0.39) to P45 (US$0.71) for minimum wage earners, saying the adjustment offers little relief to workers struggling with rising prices of food, fuel, and other basic necessities.

The Alyansa ng mga Manggagawa sa Probinsya ng Laguna (ALMAPILA) and Pagkakaisa ng mga Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan – Kilusang Mayo Uno (PAMANTIK-KMU) described the wage adjustment as an insult to workers in Laguna and the rest of Southern Tagalog.

In a protest October 16 outside the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) IV-A office, the Workers’ Initiative for Wage Increase-Southern Tagalog (WIN4WIN-ST) criticized Wage Order No. 23 as insufficient to address the widening gap between wages and the cost of living.

“Workers in CALABARZON have long endured extremely low wages, cutting back on expenses, pawning their ATM cards, getting sick, and going hungry despite their significant contribution to the national economy,” WIN4WIN-ST said in a statement.

The groups argued that even as workers’ nominal wages increase, their purchasing power remains under pressure from the rising cost of basic goods and services.

The workers reiterated their demand for a P1,200 (US$18.92) national minimum wage. In April, the workers’ alliance filed a petition for a P600 (US$9.43) to P900 (US$14.15) wage increase.

The workers’ alliance called on the RTWPB, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Marcos administration to address workers’ demands for higher wages and better working conditions.

The groups also reiterated their opposition to the regional wage-setting system, arguing that workers’ minimum wages should not depend on the province or region where they are employed.

They called for the abolition of regional wage boards, saying the system perpetuates wage disparities among workers who face similar basic needs and rising living expenses.

They asserted that a P1,200 national minimum wage across the board would provide workers with a more adequate basis for meeting their daily needs.

The alliance also reaffirmed the need to defend workers’ rights to security of tenure, safe working conditions, and freedom of association. (RVO)

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“He needs immediate medical attention for injuries and trauma allegedly sustained during his detention.”

Release him now!

Indigenous Mangyan farmer and organizer Miguel Magbata was reportedly beaten and tortured while in military custody after his arrest in Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro, on October 14, prompting human rights groups to call for his immediate release and to hold accountable those responsible.

According to Karapatan Southern Tagalog, Magbata was arrested after a reported armed encounter between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and alleged New People’s Army (NPA) members in Sitio Badyang, Barangay San Roque in Bulalacao. He was reportedly subjected to physical abuse and interrogation by the 1st Infantry Battalion (IB) under the command of the 203rd Infantry Brigade (IBde).

After days of uncertainty over his whereabouts, reports emerged that Magbata was transferred to Roxas Municipal Police Station. Defend Mindoro said that he needs immediate medical attention for injuries and trauma allegedly sustained during his detention.

The group also raised concerns over a Facebook post from 203rd Infantry Brigade of Philippine Army about Magbata’s children and family, published without their consent, which it said could compromise their safety.

Despite his reported transfer to police custody, the military reportedly sought to retain custody of Magbata. Defend Mindoro demanded his immediate release and called for accountability from the 203rd IBde led by Brig. Gen. Melencio Ragudo, and the 1st IB, under Lt. Col. Edwin Mirador.

Red-tagging, militarization

Defend Mindoro said that Magbata’s case shows a pattern of harassment and abuses against Indigenous Peoples, farmers, and community organizers in Mindoro where those asserting their rights are often accused of links to the communist armed movement.

The group cited the killings of Indigenous and peasant individuals Jay-el Maligday, Hulyo Agtay, and Juan Sumilhig which it attributed to military abuses. It also stressed the case of Dolores Solangon, an elderly Mangyan-Iraya woman who reportedly endured illegal arrest and nine hours of torture at the hands of elements from the 76th IB.

Maligday, a young Hanunuo-Mangyan, was allegedly killed by soldiers of the 4th IB while sleeping in his home. The same unit was accused of beating another Hanunuo-Mangyan, Minggo, in Mansalay early this year.

For Defend Mindoro, these abuses are inseparable from the land disputes and economic hardships confronting Indigenous communities and farmers.

In Bulalacao, the group said that large-scale mining and renewable energy projects threaten ancestral lands and local livelihoods. These include developments associated with CleanTech Global Renewables and Singapore-based The Blue Circle which is reportedly planning an offshore wind project involving 100 turbines across a proposed 40,050-hectare area.

Meanwhile, drought has exacerbated the farmers’ hardship. In 2024, an estimated 864 hectares of farmland in Bulalacao were damaged, resulting in P87 million (US$1.37 million) in agricultural losses and affecting around 1,000 registered farmers, according to Defend Mindoro. With another severe El Niño episode looming, communities face renewed threats of crop failure and water shortage.

The group criticized the government for prioritizing counterinsurgency operations over addressing rural poverty, landlessness, and the climate crisis. It said that militarization further endangers communities already struggling to protect their livelihoods and ancestral territories.

Accountability

Defend Mindoro demanded an independent investigation into the allegations of torture and illegal detention. Torture is prohibited under international law and civilians must be protected from violence and cruel treatment in situations of armed conflict.

The group held the 203rd IBde and the Marcos Jr. administration accountable for the alleged violations, calling for an end to military harassment of Indigenous Peoples and farmers.

For Defend Mindoro, Magbata’s case underscores the dangers faced by community organizers defending the rights of rural communities. “No allegation of insurgency can justify torture or the denial of due process,” the group wrote in a statement. (DAA)

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Farmers, scientists and environmentalists, held a forum, October 18 on the impacts of Super El Niño on farmers and fisherfolk and the government’s lack of preparations for it.

A Super El Niño is a stronger El Niño where the temperature of the Pacific Ocean increases to 2C above the average. In the Philippines, it leads to the extreme shifting of weather conditions, bringing in severe drought, or stronger rainfall events. For farmers, it is the government’s unpreparedness that turns it into an even greater calamity, made even worse by the climate crisis. 

Farmers Geraldine Patriarca and Ginny Nabia from Bicol and Negros expressed how their communities are already experiencing extreme drought, and are unable to sustain themselves and their families. They demanded Marcos Jr. to give genuine solutions to farmers’ struggles, not his proposed buckets that they say “will barely even catch any rain.”

Irish Cuaresma of Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (Agham), added that farmers and Indigenous peoples are further undermined by “disaster capitalism,” where corporations benefit from humanitarian crises. 

Sharl Lopez of Philippine Network of Food Security Programs (PNFSP) meanwhile, criticized the government for not upholding their obligation to uphold the people’s right to food security, and advocated for the passing of the Right to Adequate Food Bill.

After the forum, farmers held a flash mob calling for national industrialization, genuine agrarian reform. (RVO)

Text and photos by Viggo Sarmago

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Despite the advancements of AI technology, there is also the growing resistance.

BANGKOK – Organizations from different parts of the world are now united against the Pax Silica Initiative to be signed by the United States and the Philippines in November. US President Donald Trump reportedly will visit the Philippines to sign the agreement. 

“We are in a period of extreme conflict between two very powerful and imperialist countries and the US is trembling and shaking. We have to maintain that fervor of revolution, that ability to throw stones at them, to bring them down and to make sure that the US imperialist power is no more,” said Azra Sayeed, secretary-general of the International League of Peoples Struggles (ILPS) during an activity in Bangkok, Thailand dubbed “Shut the Pax Down: Resistance and Solidarity Against Imperialist Plunder” on October 14.

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank (IMF-WB) held its annual meeting in Bangkok from October 12 to 18. Participants included central bank governors, economic policy makers and business leaders.  

In a statement, the Campaigners of the Peoples Global Campaign (PGC) Against IMF and World  expressed concern over IMF-WB’s push for new technologies, including the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in Global South economies. 

The group said that the “frantic race” for AI dominance intensified mining and extraction in resource-rich countries in the Global South. Transnational corporations are extracting rare earth elements (REEs) and other critical minerals to meet the growing demand for AI infrastructure. To secure control over the AI supply chain, countries like the US initiated the formation of Pax Silica and other similar formations.  

“We know that imperialism is about world domination and control over resources. In the previous century, the rivalry among imperialist powers centered on oil because whoever controlled oil could wield significant influence over the military and the economy,” Arnold Padilla, secretary-general of ILPS-Philippines said during the event. 

Now, he stressed, the battle is over critical minerals as whoever controls AI and the critical minerals needed to build its infrastructure could gain a significant advantage in dominating the world. “Essentially, that’s the battle now between the US and China. So, who will control this critical sector?”

This is why, Padilla said, the Philippines is up for a major battle to halt the signing of the US-led Pax Silica Initiative this year in time for the Asean Summit from November 16 to 18. 

He said that AI is not just about the software that people use but also about weapons like drones “that can make decisions in actual battles without any human intervention.” He added that these sophisticated weapons will be made of minerals to be extracted from the Philippines. 

Read: Critical minerals policy framework linked to Pax Silica?
Read: War and plunder: US imperialism in the Philippines

“Pax Silica is made up of 24 countries, of course, led by the US. And it’s a special coalition. Specifically chosen by the US because countries that belong to Pax Silica perform a specific specialized role because it’s about controlling the supply chain,” Padilla said. “We don’t have high technology, we don’t have the logistic network, we don’t have capital or energy. But what do we have? We have the critical minerals. So for us in the Philippines, this is all about plunder.”

Profit for the imperialist 

Donna Denina, secretary-general of International Women’s Alliance (IWA), said that US Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg, former tech executive and adviser tied to the controversial software firm Palantir, designed Pax Silica to give the US control over the global technology supply chain. 

Palantir is a technology firm with clients from the Pentagon and foreign militaries including the Israeli government. But Denina said that Palantir is now expanding its influence beyond military tech into the health care sector. 

In the US, she said that Palantir’s AI software is being used to manage hospital staffing and scheduling. This raised concerns among healthcare workers and prompted protests. 

She said that more than 1,000 nurses from the National Nurses United union protested against healthcare institutions’ contracts with Palantir. “They are concerned that AI systems could replace human decision-making in the hospital. Nurses warn that relying on AI could reduce human oversight in decisions affecting patients’ care and well-being.”

She stressed that Palantir’s expansion in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) was also protested by patients, health workers and the public.  

Denina said that with the expansion of AI requires large data centers that consume vast amounts of land and water. She said that this is why some US states and cities banned or restricted the construction of data centers. 

According to Data Center Watch, $64 billion of data center projects have been blocked or delayed due to local opposition. 

“So not only is Palantir trying to monopolize war technology, it’s now expanding into health technology and trying to dominate AI tech firms to win contracts. And they suspect that Palantir will be the number one beneficiary for the Pax Silica agreement because of the types of technologies they can offer,” Denina said.  

She added that despite the advancements of AI technology, there is also the growing resistance. “I think people in the US understand the impacts of the Pax Silica Agreement.” 

“To support and facilitate more AI technology, there’s going to be more public funding spent on government contracts to support AI technology. Public spending that could be used towards supporting the local communities,” Denina said, adding that Bagong Alyasang Makabayan (Bayan) US chapter launched the Shut Down Pax Silica Campaign Network last September was joined by Filipino Americans in the US and other nationalities. 

Read: US-wide campaign against Pax Silica launched

Sayeed called on different nations to show resistance against the US whose President is set to come to the Philippines next month. 

“I recall reading Joma (Jose Maria Sison). He states that imperialism and feudalism are man-made social phenomena which are to exploit and oppress the people. They are plunderers of both humans and nature,” Sayeed said, adding that critical minerals are key to the industrial military complex as well.  

This is why, she said, the US is trying to get hold of the supply chain. She said that the Philippines and Indonesia have critical minerals.  

“We must all show up to make sure that he knows Asia. Whether we are in the Philippines or Indonesia or Pakistan or Nepal or India, we have to say, ‘you are not welcome,’” Sayeed said. 

“Our resistance has to be fueled by the pain of the people. We fight for our people, we fight for our land, we fight for our destiny. So, that is who we are. And we will not forget.That come 16th of November, when he comes, he will be told you are not welcome across Asia and the Pacific. Let’s make this across Asia and the Pacific, not only the Philippines,” she added. (DAA)

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Having equal pay is what we are after because we are delivering the same [products].

For months, workers have been demanding an end to a multinational beverage corporation’s alleged unequal treatment of its workforce in Mindanao.

The Samahan ng Manggagawa sa Coca-Cola (SAMACOKE) and Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng Buong Lohistika at Distribusyon ng Coca-Cola Southern at Central Mindanao (NMLDCC-SCM), both affiliated with the Federation and Cooperation of Cola, Beverage, and Allied Industry Unions (FCCU), have been in negotiations with Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines (CCEAP) for a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to have equal benefits and wage hikes as their Luzon counterparts.

Edmond*, a Davao City resident and who has been in the company for decades, told Bulatlat that a major concern is the alleged unfair implementation of parameters for workers’ performance incentives. He said that they need to accomplish three certain parameters but this was allegedly not similar to a manufacturing site based in Luzon which requires only one parameter.

“The situation has been reversed. We are the vintage [plant], and we are given parameters that are difficult to achieve,” he said in the vernacular.

Receiving an average P1,500 (US$23.79) of monthly incentive, Edmond said, goes a long way for workers given the increasing prices of basic goods.

Coca-Cola truck drivers in Mindanao, on the other hand, are pushing for an equal reload rate as their Luzon counterparts. Adrian*, who is also a Davao City resident and has been working as a delivery truck driver for the company for more than a decade, said that they get paid P135 (US$2.14) per reload which is too low compared to the supposed reload rate of P265 (US$4.20) in a Coca-Cola manufacturing site in Luzon.

“Having equal pay is what we are after because we are delivering the same [products],” Adrian said in the vernacular.

A reload refers to the second and succeeding delivery of Coca-Cola products to various stores after the first trip. Delivery truck drivers, Adrian said, considered it as their overtime pay.

Both unions also pushed for a P50 (US$0.79) daily wage hike, the same amount allegedly granted to the employees working at the same Luzon-based manufacturing site in 2023. In that year, Edmond said that they were forced to accept the offer of a P40 (US$0.63) increase in daily salary after the provision of other benefits which were also essential for them.

Their last CBA expired in October 2025 but the formal negotiations for a new bargaining agreement started in April this year after it got delayed. As of this writing, both parties have yet to conclude negotiations.

The United Coca-Cola Logistics Employees Association of North Mindanao (UCLEANMINDA-FCCU), covering workers from Misamis Oriental and the cities of Iligan, Butuan, and Zamboanga, is facing a separate issue as the company allegedly refused to bargain.

Jasper Mabuloc, UCLEANMINDA-FCCU president, said that their union was certified as the sole and exclusive bargaining agent (SEBA) of the employees in July. But he said that the company allegedly could not proceed with the negotiation since there was a petition filed by the previous labor union—which allegedly opposed having an election—before the secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The CBA of the previous labor union was also until 2028. “The appeal made by the previous labor union was being used to delay the negotiations,” Mabuloc told Bulatlat in the vernacular. “New union, new CBA.”

Like the NMLDCC-SCM members, the union of Mabuloc also echoed the call for equal reload pay for delivery truck drivers in Mindanao.

Coca-Cola workers have been doing peaceful demonstrations outside their workplace, putting protest banners to voice out their concerns. SAMACOKE is also planning to file a complaint to DOLE after some of their banners were recently taken down by unidentified individuals.

“There should be no disparity because according to what they have said, they nationalized and standardized the implementation of their programs. They should follow,” Edmond said in the vernacular.

Bulatlat reached out to the Coca-Cola company through email on October 18, seeking comments on the alleged disparity of pay and benefits. There was no response as of this posting.

SAMACOKE and NMLDCC-SCM already filed notices of strike. If the company does not have an appropriate response to their demands, Edmond and Mabuloc said that they do not have a choice but to launch a work stoppage. (DAA)

*Real names withheld upon request because of fear of possible reprisal.

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