Salute to fellow Filipino workers
We in the arts and media alliance LODI salute all Filipino workers on #MayoUno2018. We draw inspiration from the historic joint action against “Endo” and contractualization by the two biggest camps of Philippine labor: the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and the Nagkaisa labor coalition led by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP). With this move, workers have shown their mettle as society’s vanguard. May their cooperation also inspire national unity towards other common goals.
We also send our special greetings to artists and performers in various fields, and the journalists and workers in Philippine media. This is an occasion to come out to raise the just demands of workers in the arts and media. Let us join KMU and Nagkaisa in calling for an end to contractualization and “Endo” in the companies and industries we work in.
Knowing, reporting, portraying and demanding redress for the worsening economic conditions of Filipino workers, including those in the arts and media, is an important aspect in our fight for democracy and integrity. Democracy is not just about fighting political tyranny. It also involves redress of economic injustice.
The more tyrannical a government is, the more unjust society becomes. The solution is thus a commitment to justice in both politics and economics. And so we must all join workers on this day and beyond.
We must march alongside workers today. Defense of our political, economic, cultural and social rights under democracy safeguards our artistic and professional integrity. We also call on the arts and media sectors to expose the lies that were peddled since 2016, lies that perpetuate the reign of greed in politics and economics.
Make no mistake: The fight for economic justice is intrinsically tied to the struggle for freedom of expression and press freedom. All are under attack.
Our ability to accurately, creatively and freely depict social realities, and inspire the nation to fight for change, is hampered by attempts to curtail the work of artists and journalists and the regime’s use of disinformation to smother the truth about the regime’s dictatorial designs, the growing public disenchantment and the surging movement against tyranny.
We join journalists’ organizations in decrying the prior restraint measures taken by Malacañang and the House of Representatives. We reject the attempt to water down constitutional guarantees for free speech, free expression and free press via Charter Change. Only the corrupt, the murderous, the tyrants, and the traitors are afraid of free artists and free journalists.
To fellow workers, let’s also go out in honor of our greatest heroes, from Lino Brocka to Ishmael Bernal, from Antonio Zumel to Antonio Ma. Nieva, from Don Chino Roces to Isagani Yambot, and from Liliosa Hilao to Chit Estella.
The workers are marching, and so must their artists and journalists. Let us not forget: We are workers, too.--Let’s Organize for Democracy and Integrity (LODI)