Ahead of President Rodrigo Duterte’s sixth and final State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 26, various organizations and sectoral groups have come together to amplify issues faced by Filipinos through protests and other activities.
Among the highlights of these efforts is the massive united action dubbed as the People’s SONA, which aims to highlight the struggle of different sectors in the perspective of Filipinos.
The People’s SONA, which feature a series of protests by a broad array of political and civil society organizations, has been held on the day of the SONA since 2017.
Organizers of this year’s People’s SONA are still finalizing the details of the united action as of writing.
Meanwhile, President Duterte’s address this year is set to be delivered again in a hybrid format due to the persisting COVID-19 pandemic.
Here is a list of events and activities organized by various groups, leading up to President Duterte’s SONA:
Mass protests
United States
Filipinos across the US will hold their own SONA activities.
More than 20 US-based regional organizations such as the Anakbayan Silicon Valley, Bayan, Malaya, and the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines will unite to stage their own People’s SONA in front of the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco at 1 pm Pacific Standard Time.
In Southern California, Anakbayan Los Angeles, along with Bayan and Malaya Movement, will hold a rally in front of the Philippine Consulate on July 25 at 3 pm Pacific Daylight Time to demand the resignation of President Duterte amid state-sponsored attacks on democracy and his “failure to address the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Anakbayan Washington DC will also stage a protest on July 24, 4 pm Eastern Daylight Time to slam extrajudicial killings, corruption, and threats to national sovereignty under Duterte. Meanwhile, Anakbayan Toronto will organize its own SONA ng Bayan along with BAYAN Canada, Malaya Movement Canada, and other allies on July 25, 4:30 pm Eastern daylight time.
Philippines
In the Philippines, labor groups led by Anakpawis Party-list, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, and Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura will stage the State of the Toiling Masses on Monday, July 19, 2 pm at the Commission on Human Rights Compound.
The protest will be held to present the situation of laborers and amplify their calls for land, income, employment, and housing.
On the same day, groups that form the SONAgKAISA Youth Committee will lead a blended State of the Youth Address (SOYA) to highlight the issues faced by the young citizens and marginalized sectors in the country. The address will be held physically at Barangay San Vicente, Quezon City, and live streamed online at 1:30 pm.
Aside from the SOYA staged in Quezon City, youth groups from all over the Philippines will be staging their iterations of the address in various parts of the country. Below is the schedule, along with the locations:
Online activities
The Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) is organizing a national conference called “State of the People Address (SOPA): Kumperensiya para sa Pagbangon ng Ekonomiya at ng Bayan (Conference for Rebuilding the Economy and the Country)” on July 20, 9 am.
Leaders from several organizations will discuss the country’s debt, as well as their proposed solutions to the economic crisis.
The SOPA will be held at the University Hotel in University of the Philippines Diliman but online participants may register here.
Karapatan, on the other hand, will host a webinar tackling the human rights situation in the country five years into Duterte’s presidency on July 21 at 10 am. The event, dubbed as “No Justice, No Peace: 5 Years of State Terror Under Duterte,” will be live streamed on the organization’s Facebook page.
To analyze the performance of the Duterte administration across different sectors, Student and Teachers’ Alliance for the Advancement of National Democracy (STAND) Central Luzon will lead a series of pre-SONA online discussions called “Hatol ng Kabataan: Duterte Wakasan (The youth’s judgment: End Duterte)” from July 21 to 25.
Here is the full schedule:
Meanwhile, Rise for Education Alliance – UP Diliman will lead a three-day webinar called “State of the People 2021: A Continuous Fight for Rights and Justice” from July 23 to 25. The series will discuss the current struggles of the health, labor, and youth sector.
Secure your webinar slots here. – Kristel Ogsimer/Rappler.com
Kristel Ogsimer is a Rappler intern from the University of Santo Tomas taking up a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism.