January 25, 2019 , 05:31pm

Solidarity vs Duterte regime’s attacks

Renato Reyes Jr., BAYAN Philippines Secretary General (Photo: A. Manasan)

BAYAN Canada holds first Congress

By Althea Manasan
The Philippine Reporter

As heavy snow blanketed downtown Toronto over the weekend, one event hall was warmed by fiery political rhetoric and impassioned pleas for solidarity among the Filipino people.

It was the official re-launch of Bayan Canada, an overseas chapter of the progressive Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (or BAYAN), a Philippine alliance of organizations espousing National Democratic ideals. More than 80 delegates from across Canada gathered at the United Steelworkers Hall over two days to listen to speakers and elect leadership.

“It was high time to have BAYAN Canada be where it’s at now … as a national organization to struggle for justice and human rights of the Philippine people,” said Rhea Gamana, BAYAN Canada’s newly elected secretary general.

Delegates from various allied organizations attended the Congress — including Migrante’s Ontario, Alberta and Barrie groups, Gabriela’s Ontario and British Columbia branches, Anakbayan’s Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and McGill groups — each of them representing issues related to migrant workers, women, youth, and media and cultural workers.

Despite the different interest groups, the underlying message of the weekend was solidarity — amongst FIlipinos at home and abroad, as well as with other countries and international organizations.

Celebrating People’s Resistance with BAYAN’s Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr. at BAYAN Canada’s first Congress on Jan. 19-20, 2019 at United Steelworkers Hall in Toronto.
(Photo: Rene Sevilla)

A new start

BAYAN Canada first tried to launch in 2008 and eventually formed a National Organizing Committee. Although it held several events and campaigns over the last decade, it never became a fully fledged chapter.

Activist Dr. Constancio “Chandu” Claver, the committee’s chairperson (and formerly chairperson of Bayan Muna-Kalinga in the Philippines), said that at the time, they weren’t capable of handling all the diverse issues facing the Filipino community in Canada.

“Previously, everyone was thinking about, ‘What do we do as migrants? What do we do as OFWs who are facing status problems?’” he said. “It took some time to make people realize the roots of the problems are actually just one.”

Resistance against the Duterte regime was a common theme of the event, with several speakers blasting the administration for corruption, violence and human rights violations against the Filipino people.

Christopher Sorio, newly-elected Chirman of BAYAN Canada.
(Photo: Rene Sevilla)

“Attacks on the people in the Philippines are so intense now that it’s much, much worse than what we experienced in martial law. The number of people getting killed, the extent of the damage, the impunity — it’s much, much worse,” Claver said.

“There’s an acute need to actually try to put a hold on it, and we need all the help we can get. I think the push for us is to actually get more of our overseas compatriots involved and Canada involved.”

Building a presence overseas

BAYAN Canada is the third overseas chapter of BAYAN, which was founded in the Philippines in 1985 as part of the opposition during the Marcos dictatorship. There is already a chapter in the United States as well as a chapter serving Hong Kong and Macau.

Renato Reyes, Jr., the Secretary General of the main BAYAN, arrived from the Philippines to attend the Canadian Congress and to deliver the keynote address. Other speakers included Joey Calugay, outgoing secretary general of BAYAN Canada; Nikole Cababa, secretary general of BAYAN USA; and IBON International Director Antonio Tujan Jr.

During Reyes’s month-long stay in Canada, he also visited Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto and met with members of Parliament, government officials and members of the Filipino-Canadian community.

“I discussed the situation in the Philippines, particularly the human rights situation, and what the different groups here can do about it,” he said.

In one memorable encounter in Vancouver, Reyes said he addressed a group of drug users. “I’ve never spoken to a crowd of drug users,” he said. “I talked to them about [the drug war in the Philippines] and they were very surprised at what they saw.”

Joey Calugay, outgoing Secretary General, BAYAN Canada.
(Photo: Althea Manasan)

Reyes was just as surprised at how differently Canada addresses its own drug issues compared to the Philippines. He said that here, the drug problem is approached as a social and health issue, and users are treated more humanely, whereas back home, it’s addressed as a criminal justice issue.

“Your only options are: you end up in jail or get killed,” he said. “So for me that was an eyeopener.”

Canada’s role

Through his conversations with Canadian government officials, Reyes realized that they are informed, or at least exposed, to the drug war and to the human rights situation in the Philippines.

Referring to a committee report from the House of Commons that included critical remarks about extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, Reyes said he would like to see the government go a step further and explain what other steps it may take.

”I think they have to reveal what kind of aid that they’re giving, if any, to the military, to the police, if there are existing training programs … the kind of support that they may be giving to state forces, which may be used to commit human rights violations,” he said.

(Photo: A. Manasan)

Reyes said that Bayan needs a lot of support from Filipinos overseas, and he hoped that the new Canadian chapter can play an important role in the greater struggle.
“We would really want Canada to establish its own chapter and unite the different progressive Filipino organizations here and give a voice to Filipinos here. It couldn’t have come at a better time.”

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The newly elected BAYAN Canada officers

Chairperson: Christopher Sorio

Vice-Chairperson: Sheryl Ann Montano

Secretary General: Rhea Gamana

Finance Officer: Remegio Pajadura

Propaganda Officer: Yshmael Cabana