Remembering a Working Class Hero

May 23, 2008

Hello again, everybody. Another hot and sunny day amidst the rainy season, though by the afternoon the downpour will likely start anew. Life here goes on, though slowly. The kids are well after a fever and sore throat passed through us; seems to be passing around organizers at CHD, too. We are enjoying the many fruity and savoury treats on our walks to and from CHD, as well as the myriad of opportunities that present throughout the day to learn about the struggles of the people. I am working on an article for the Alliance of Health Workers’ newsletter; I’ll post the article to our blog.

Today we are headed into downtown Manila to attend the Parangal (wake) of Ka Bel, congressman from the progressive party-list Anakpawis, a man who sought economic justice for the workers and the equal distribution of land to the peasants. The wake is divided into a schedule to give all the opportunity to attend, to hear about his life, and to share their experiences and heartfelt reflections of Ka Bel. I really appreciated what one of the CHD organizers shared yesterday, that Ka Bel was a true working class hero and a man of the people. At 75 years of age, despite his being a respected congressman, he was up at 6:30 AM fixing a leak in his roof! That even as a government official, his ‘assets’ were limited to p20,000, two barongs, and a pair of eye glasses. He certainly knew where his priorities lay, with his tireless efforts to bring over 300 alternative bills forward to the congress in defence of the workers and the peasants, the masses of poor in the Philippines.

In this context of reflections on a great leader, the future of the struggle in the Philippines is also on everyone’s lips. Coupled with grief are also sentiments of hope and dedication to continuing the struggle for justice. It is a sad time, and also a time to see right into the heart of the people, and the commitment and the love for each other that resides there, providing the impetus for the personal sacrifice that each and every organizer makes in order to struggle for a just and liberated society for all.

For the duration of this time of mourning and reflection, our plans have changed. Next week we will attend the procession from congress in recognition of Ka Bel. The loss will also be greatly felt at the ILPS in June; Ka Bel was preparing for our gathering at the time of his accident. The multi-sectoral organization of the movement in the Philippines comes clearly into view; it was described to me as an orchestra, with each instrument and section (organization & sector) providing their part, each part contributing to the score (strategic plan).

Unfortunately I can’t find a computer with the program necessary to load photos onto this blog, and loading photos onto my flicker site takes aeons of paid internet café or CHD computer time. So, if you want to check out our photos, follow the link to our flicker site from the 2003 exposure trip slide show posted on this blog.

We will be posting some interviews on the life of Ka Bel in the days to come.

Tuloy Ang Laban! The Struggle Continues!