Stop historical revisionism! Fight for the truth!

Protestors honor and remember human rights defenders Lorena Barros and Zara Alvarez at a PSONA event in San Francisco on July 25, 2022. Photo: Glenn Mercado

Editor’s Note: Following is a speech by Tita Leila of the Pilipino Association of Workers and Immigrants (PAWIS). Tita Leila shared her story at the People’s State of the Nation Address in San Francisco on July 25, 2022. English translation by Dr. Maharaj Desai and Bernard James Remollino provided below.

Magandang hapon! Kumusta tayong lahat? Ako si Leila, isang caregiver at member ng Pilipino Association of Workers and Immigrants o PAWIS. Ang PAWIS ay isang grassroots organization na naka-base sa Santa Clara County, advocating for the rights and welfare of Filipino migrants and workers.

Actually, first time ko’ng sumali sa PSONA at sa totoo lang, sasabihin ko talaga na hindi ako “ok.”

Unang una, punong puno ng paghihirap ang migration journey ko — naging biktima ako ng human trafficking at wage theft. Naghirap bilang isang low-wage worker sa panahon ng pandemya at na-COVID pa nitong January sa taong ito. Sa kabutihang palad, I survived it kahit tatlong beses akong nag-didialysis sa isang linggo dahil sa malalang kalagayan ng kidney ko.

Pangalawa, hindi ako ok kasi hindi pa rin ok ang mga pamilya at kamag-anak ko sa Pinas. Walang pagbabago ang nangyayari sa buhay nila, lalo pa ngang lumala ngayon, ang taas na ng inflation! Dios ko! Kahit tuyo, P200 pesos na per kilo! At lalong bumagsak ang value ng peso sa dolyar! Napakahirap ng buhay ngayon sa Pilipinas, kulang na kulang ang sahod ng karaniwang Pilipino para makabili man lang ng pagkain.

Pangatlo, sobrang-sobra ang pagkadismaya ko na nanalo si BBM at Sara. Takot akong uuwi sa Pinas. Paano na, baka ma-red tag ako dahil lang nagsasalita ako ngayon dito, diba? And dami-daming pinatay ni Duterte, hindi lang mga suspected drug users — mga aktibista, abogado, journalists, at mga kritiko. Kung hindi ka patayan, ikaw ay ikulong.

Sa tingin ba natin, may pagbabago na mangyari sa panahon ni BBM? I don’t think so! Hanggang ngayon, patuloy pa rin ang pagre-red tag at pagtutugis sa mga kritiko. Paano natin mapagkatiwalaan ang lalabas sa bibig ng isang presidente na pasimuno ng fake news at disinformation at nagfi-finance ng troll farms? Hindi pa nga nakapagsimulang magsilbi, lalabas na ang pelikulang “Maid in Malacanang” para ma-whitewash ang madilim na kabanata sa ating kasaysayan at sinabi pa ng mga tuta nya na “tsismis” lang ang history. Nakabalik na nga sa Malacanang ang pamilyang sobrang nagpasakit sa sambayanang Pilipino! Balik na naman si Dona Imelda at ang mga Marcos cronies sa pagpa-party sa Malacanang. Subalit paulit-ulit nating isigaw- NEVER AGAIN! NEVER FORGET!

Kahit anong sasabihin ng mga followers at voters ni BBM at Sara, hindi nila maikubli ang malalang kalagayan ng ekonomiya ng Pilipinas. Almost 13 trillion pesos na ang utang ng Pilipinas sa katapusan ng pamamahala ni Digong! Anong gagawin ni BBM dito? — more taxes pa daw at mining pa more sa Mindanao!

Subalit, kahit hindi ako “ok,” hindi ibig sabihin na susuko na ako. Sa mga nakaraang buwan, sa pagpapel ko bilang isang promotora ng PAWIS at puspusang nag-a-outreach sa Filipino community, marami na ring nagbabago sa aking pananaw at pag-iisip. Mayroong kabuluhan ang patuloy nating pakikibaka para sa ikabubuti ng mga migranteng mangagawa at ng buong sambayanang Pilipino, gaano man ito kahirap.

Kaya hindi tayo susuko! Patuloy nating ipaglaban ang katotohanan! Hindi tsismis ang kasaysayan! Bagamat, aralin natin ang kasaysayan upang mabago ang lipunan!

NEVER AGAIN! NEVER FORGET! MAKIBAKA! HUWAG MATAKOT!

September 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the declaration of martial law in the Philippines. Photo: [people. power. media]

Good afternoon! How are we all? I am Leila, a caregiver and member of the Pilipino Association of Workers and Immigrants PAWIS. PAWIS is a grassroots organization based in Santa Clara County, advocating for the rights and welfare of Filipino migrants and workers.

Actually, it’s my first time joining the PSONA, and truth be told, I would like to say that I am not “ok.”

First of all, my migration journey was full of hardships. I became a victim of human trafficking and wage theft. I toiled as a low-wage worker during the pandemic and contracted COVID in January of this year. Fortunately, I survived even though I had dialysis three times a week due to the serious condition of my kidney.

Second, I am not ok because my family and relatives in the Philippines are still not ok. Nothing has changed in their lives. It’s even worse now because the inflation is so high! My God! Even dried fish is at P200 pesos per kilo! And the value of the peso fell even more against the dollar! Life is very difficult in the Philippines today; the income of the average Filipino is not enough to even buy food.

Third, I am extremely disappointed that BBM and Sara Duterte won. I’m afraid to go home to the Philippines. What if I will be red-tagged just because I’m talking here now, right? And Duterte killed many people, not just suspected drug users — activists, lawyers, journalists, and critics. If you are not killed, you will be imprisoned.

Do we think there will be change in BBM’s time? I don’t think so! To this day, red tagging and persecution of critics continue. How can we trust what comes out of the mouth of a president who instigates fake news and disinformation and finances troll farms? He has not even started, yet a movie, “Maid in Malacanang,” is about to be released to whitewash the dark chapter in our history, and his puppets are even saying that history is just “gossip.” The family that caused so much pain to the Filipino people has returned to Malacanang! Dona Imelda and the Marcos cronies are back to partying in Malacanang. But let’s shout again and again — NEVER AGAIN! NEVER FORGET!

No matter what the followers and voters of BBM and Sara say, they cannot hide the dire state of the Philippine economy. The debt of the Philippines is almost 13 trillion pesos at the end of Digong’s administration! What will BBM do here? - They are now saying more taxes and more mining in Mindanao!

However, even if I’m not “ok,” it doesn’t mean I’m going to give up. In the past months, as I have been working as a representative of PAWIS and actively outreaching to the Filipino community, many things have changed in my perspective and thinking. There is meaning in our continued struggle for the betterment of migrant workers and the entire Filipino people, no matter how difficult it is.

So we will not give up! Let’s keep fighting for the truth! History is not gossip! Instead, let’s study history in order to change society!

NEVER AGAIN! NEVER FORGET! MAKIBAKA! HUWAG MATAKOT!