By JOELLYN OCAMPO
Bulatlat.com
PAMPANGA— The Makabayan Coalition introduced their senatorial candidates in an assembly here in San Fernando, attended by various sectors across Central Luzon.
Farmers, workers, youths, and jeepney drivers joined forces in demanding genuine representation in government and in pushing for long-overdue reforms that past and present administrations failed to deliver. The gathering became a platform for marginalized sectors in Central Luzon to voice their grievances, stressing the need for policies that directly address their plight.
John Rafael Bernardo, a student born to a working class family, said, “I hope that we would have ordinary people in power,” he said in Filipino. He said that the current government is filled with big political clans. “How can we expect them to relate with us when they have not experienced the difficulties that we are experiencing?” he added.
For his part, Allen Dela Cruz, a farmer from the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon, said, “The government lacks support for local production and they are always depending on other countries.” He stressed the urgency of implementing genuine agrarian reform.
Arnel de Guzman, a jeepney driver whose father is a farmer, expressed frustration over the government’s inconsistencies as regards land distribution. “We are a victim to land ‘give and take back’ system. We’ve paid our obligations to Landbank but now the capitalists are taking away our land,” he said in Filipino. He demanded long-term security in terms of land and livelihood.
De Guzman was also concerned with the situation of transport workers, particularly jeepney drivers like himself. “Kung dati naghahanap-buhay kami para sa sarili, ngayon ang binubuhay namin ay yung tinatawag nilang Kooperatiba (If in the past we used to work for ourselves, now we are working to support what they call as ‘Cooperatives.’”). He said that the current policy puts an unfair financial burden on small jeepney operators.
They expressed hope for genuine change in the 2025 elections as the Makabayan Coalition vowed to push for these reforms in the Senate. (RTS, DAA)
