Hacienda Luisita seven years later

November 16, 2004 when 7 protesting farmers in Hacienda Luisita were massacred by state agents. Sugarcane workers from Hacienda Luisita were under strike due to the inhumane wage and working conditions in the Hacienda and the non-distribution of the land that was due to them decades ago by the powerful Cojuangco-Aquino family.


Seven years after the brutal massacre, perpetrators are still scot-free, Hacienda Luisita has not been distributed.

I joined the caravan from Manila to Hacienda Luisita to commemorate the 7th anniversary of the massacre and give tribute to the martyrs of the struggle for land and justice. It was my first time to go there and if I was not working (covering the activity for Tudla Productions), I could have integrated more with the farmers. Looking forward to go there again.

Jam-packed

I just loved the jam-packed forum and film screening yesterday at the Bulwagang Balagtas in PUP (Polytechnic University of the Philippines) for the 3rd Pandayang Lino Brocka Political Film and New Media Festival. The forum was about Freedom of Expression, too bad there wasn't enough time for the open forum. Hopefully, the students were able to learn a lot about the topic.

Let's do this again!

Visit Pandayang Lino Brocka's site here for updates about the festival.

People's SONA (2011)

I know this post is a month late but hey, it's better late than later right? Oh so cliche. Well anyway, this was taken last July 25, 2011 during the protest rally outside [well, near] the House of Representatives where President Noynoy Aquino's State of the Nation Address (SONA) was being held.

Different patriotic groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) held the protest to conduct an alternative SONA. Protesters burned an effigy of the president to show their disgust over the current administration which has done nothing decisive to change the situation of the country and its people.

Mother and Son

My first photo shoot with a model in preparation for my godson, Marcus' 1st birthday, it turned out that it was really difficult to shoot babies especially outdoor. He just ran around the playground and I had to follow him wherever he went. It was exhausting. But at least he enjoyed the park and I was able to capture some of his happy moments while running around. Babies are a breath of fresh air.

Streets of Tacloban

During this time of the year, there are a lot of events in Tacloban City for the fiesta. But at the same time, the local airwaves are hounded by the same issue of festivals rivalry between the Pintados Kasadyaan Festival organized by the Provincial Government of Leyte and the revived Sangyaw Festival of Festivals of the Tacloban City Government.

I don't give a sh** about the festivals. I was more interested with the day-to-day struggles of the people in the streets in order to survive. Tacloban is a small city and there are no industries that can create jobs so most of the people here are into small-scale enterprises, vendors and contractual employees in commercial establishments.

Street food vendors along Zamora street

Fried isaw vendor. The isaw are very tasty. Nom, nom.

Day of Outrage

The Labor Day in the Philippines this year was marked as a Day of Outrage of workers for wage hike. Members of different unions led by the Kilusang Mayo Uno including different progressive organizations marched from different areas in Metro Manila to Liwasang Bonifacio to register their outrage on the current administration because of its inaction to increase wage and control prices of basic commodities.

The protest action ended in Mendiola.

Kalbaryo ng Sambayanan (2011)

Members of progressive groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-National Capital Region (BAYAN-NCR) and Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY) depicted the "Kalbaryo ng Sambayanan" through Juan dela Cruz as the modern Christ carrying a crucifix of price hikes, unemployment, privatization and deregulation. They represented characters masked as Uncle Sam (U.S.), President Noynoy Aquino, the local ruling class and the Armed Forces of the Philippines beating Juan dela Cruz as modern Pontius Pilate who ruled to crucify Jesus Christ to death.

A Day in Dy Pac

They call this community Dy Pac, which is located in Tondo, Manila just a few meters away from Divisoria, because it is situated inside the Dy Pac and Company's unfinished commercial building. More than 200 families live in this compound for as long as 40 years or so, mostly were workers of the company or was supposed to work in the commercial center.

The community is threatened to be demolished anytime.