Full Quarter Storms
By Sonny Melencio
2010, Transform Asia Inc.
transform.asia1@gmail.com
Veteran Filipino socialist activist Sonny Melencio’s political autobiography, Full Quarter Storms, covers a lot of history.
The book tells the story of the “First Quarter Storm”, the student uprising in 1970 (from which the book draws its title), and the driving of this powerful movement underground by the declaration of martial law by then-president Ferdinand Marcos in 1972.
Philippines
See also: Philippines: regional conference discusses socialist solutions
The streets of Ayala, Manila, were taken over by about 5000 people on November 25 in a protest against the growing use of contract labour.
Philippine Airlines (PAL), owned by the Philippines second richest man, is the latest company to sack 2700 of his workers and rehire them as outsourced contractors. Contracting out workers allows bosses to pay lower wages and less benefits, and denies workers the security of a permanent job.
See also: Philippines workers protest contract labour
A successful 2010 Southeast Asia Socialism and Feminism conference was held at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Metro Manila over November 27 and 28.
The conference, organised on the theme of “Capitalist Crisis, Socialist Alternatives”, was organised by the Party of the Labouring Masses and the feminist group Transform Asia. It was attended by 100 PLM delegates from Metro Manila, as well as representatives from other organisations.
The streets of Ayala, the old financial capital of Manila, were taken over by about 5000 people on November 25 in a protest against the growing use of contract labour. Philippine Airlines, owned by the Philippines second richest man, is the latest company to sack its workforce and rehire them as contract workers – with lower wages and without the benefits and security guaranteed to formal, permanent workers.
Comparisons must be made between the impact of the September 5 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the quake that hit Haiti in January.
In Haiti — with a population of about 9 million — about 250,000 people died in the earthquake. According to government figures, 200,000 were injured and 1 million were made homeless.
Eight months later, disaster still grips people’s lives.
Fortunately, but in staggering contrast, no lives were lost in New Zealand, although the earthquake was of a similar — but slightly more powerful — magnitude (7 on the Richter scale).
The following joint statement of solidarity has been signed by a number of left and progressive organisations, in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. If your organisation would like to sign on, please email international@socialist-alliance.org
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Support the struggle for democracy and social justice in Nepal
May 6, 2010
Our dependency on oil has never been more excruciating than it is today.
A Filipino left activist wrote in a June 12 post on the Green Left discussion list: The fuel-hike protests in the Philippines are now underway. As I write 100 trucks and 500 pedi-cab (tricycle drivers) are marching to Mendiola, Malacanang Palace.
Crispin Beltran, died on May 20 from an accident in Manila, Philippines. He was 75.
Thousands of union members at Fortune Tobacco Corporation in Marikina and members of the Labour Party (PM) celebrated International Women's Day (IWD) on March 8 with a demonstation from their factory gate to the town plaza. Marilyn Calilap, the
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