BY MARY JOY CAVAÑAS & JEN BAYLON
ILOILO City – Different cause-oriented groups from different parts of the city and towns in Iloilo staged a protest under the Infante flyover in Molo district on Monday, Nov. 27, in celebration of Bonifacio Day.
Hundreds of people from the sectors of urban and rural farmers, fisherfolks, and youth members raised concerns for agrarian justice, the living wage, food sovereignty, and other different societal issues.
The gathering was organized by Joel Gepayo of the Bonifacio People’s Movement for Progress.
According to Atria Cutanda, 27, the protest meant they acknowledged Andres Bonifacio as one of the national heroes who fought for the independence of the Filipinos.
“Mahambal gid man bala naton nga may ara freedom ang mga Filipinos kay asta subong ginapigos sang kaipigaduhon. Indi kalagas sang sweldo ang mga mamumugon sa adlaw-adlaw nga pagtaas sang presyo sa merkado, ang kakulangan sang suporta sa aton mga mangunguma nga kung isipon nagabakal kita sa iban nga pungsod?” Cutanda told Panay News.
Cutanda added that there has been a lack of support for the local farmers, leading to food security concerns.
“May ara kita sang right to sustainable development, ang mga kinanglan ta kontani para maging komportable ang pagpangabuhi sang mga isigkaperaha naton nga mga Pilipino,” she added.
On the other hand, 65-year-old farmer Domingo Rosal from Barangay Tuburan, Janiuay town, said he joined the protest to sympathize with other people regarding societal concerns that involve their groups.
“Gasimpatisar man kita, tawag nga pigado man kita kag kawsa pigado man, te natural ugyonan ta man kung para sa mga mamumugon kag mangunguma,” he said.
Rosal added that this protest was his only way to express their sentiments, stressing that whether they would gain something or not, at least they had voiced out what they wanted to express.
“Gintaw-an kita ka gobyerno sang freedom nga sa paagi ka ran ma-express ta kag mahambal ang aton tinutuyo bisan waay tana kadalag-an basta ma-voice out kung ano ang (ginahambal) nila sa tawo,” Rosal added.
Meanwhile, Joel Gepaya, 60, from Guimbal, said he has been joining protests since the 1980s and stressed that Bonifacio Day is a day for the farmers.
He emphasized that the hero is notable for fighting for the rights of working groups, especially farmers, during the Spanish colonial period.
“Ang programa sa agraryo padayun ini nga daw wala sang katubhanan, kag padayun ini nga kabudlay ipatuman sang gobyerno kay mismo ang ahensya nga Department of Agrarian Reform amo man ang isa ka mas nagapabudlay para nga angkunon sang mga mangunguma ang kadutaan,” Gepaya said.
Throughout the protest, law enforcement agencies ensured the participants’ and the general public’s safety and security.
Police Major Shella Mae Sangrines, spokesperson of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), said there have been no reported incidents of violence.
Based on the ICPO’s assessment, the activity was generally peaceful, she added./PN
