Gabriela joined the Youth Led Communal Action for Truth, Justice and Change at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila yesterday. Their movement deals distinctly with the problems of women as women, working to free women from all forms of economic and political oppression and discrimination, sexual violence and abuse, neglect and denial of their health and reproductive rights. The movement is integral to the national liberation struggle for sovereignty, a democratic and representative government and equality between women and men in all aspects of life. Lastly, it is vital movement that harness the power of half of the country’s population towards liberation.

Gabriela calls out to all Filipina mothers ….

Women Unite. Fight for your Children’s Future

“As WE commemorate the 100 years of the International Women’s Day, we urge Filipino women around the world to fight the Filipinos’ ‘Women’s Enemy No. 1′ - Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.”

This was declared by Cynthia Abdon-Tellez, chairperson of Gabriela Women’s Party - Hong Kong chapter.

She also added that

She has brought Filipino women nothing but economic hardships and grave violations of our civil and political rights.

Tellez said that GMA’s government has done nothing concrete to uplift the status of Filipino women, especially women migrant workers, and instead has even instituted policies that worsen the “commodification and exploitation of overseas Filipino women workers”.

“The Philippines’ labor export program intensifies the global sale of Filipino women to the world’s labor market. Last year, the POEA has even implemented a ‘training’ scheme for Filipino domestic workers that shall supposedly address the serious violation of their rights but has, instead, led to the worsening of overcharging of recruitment agencies, more fees to the government and has not made a dent in the number of cases of abused women migrants,” she remarked.

Tellez also scored the much-touted strengthening of the Philippine peso against the US dollar that, according to her, has lost Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong as much as P6,000 per month of their wage.

“Either as mothers or wives who budget for the family, or as the family’s main breadwinners, we now find it next to impossible to meet our basic needs with the continuous soaring of prices of commodities, school fees, transportation, gas, water and electricity,” Tellez lamented.

Tellez declared that the women who strive for her family’s survival contribute to keep the ailing economy of the Philippines afloat through their remittances, are the ones suffering the brunt of poverty and oppression because of unjust policies and government neglect. She said that their No Remittance Day campaign will have the full support of their families.

“The revelations on the anomalous NBN-ZTE deal just show the depth of greed of GMA and her camp. Us and our families have already made the sacrifice of forced separation and we are prepared to again sacrifice just so this government will not have the funds anymore to plunder. No Remittance Day is our protest against this irresponsible administration who has always sabotaged the nation’s economy and our lives,” she remarked.

Finally, Tellez reiterated the call for Filipino women worldwide to join the actions for the ouster of GMA.

“Filipino women - in the Philippines and abroad - stand with the whole nation in demanding for truth, the prosecution of those accountable and the immediate resignation or ouster of GMA,” she concluded.

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 15th, 2008 at 5:13 pm and is filed under The Filipina. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.