Communique

Pagsulong: Filipino Youth Uniting and Advancing Our Struggle

September 23-24, 2006. Toronto, Ontario, Canada

In a historic gathering, Filipino youth in Canada have formed a national organization of Filipino youth. Held on September 23-24, 2006, in Toronto, the national gathering entitled “Pagsulong: Filipino Youth Uniting and Advancing Our Struggle” brought together 35 youth from Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver to share their experiences and unite their organizations under the now national Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/ Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance.

Hosted by the Toronto chapter of Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/ the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance (UKPC/FCYA-TO), the consultation also included UKPC/FCYA-Vancouver and Kabataang Montreal.

Delegates from the organizations were able to connect their local issues to a larger national context, recognizing that Filipino youth across Canada face similar challenges with racism, education, employment, gender equality and other issues. The youth also connected their struggles in Canada to the socio-economic and political crisis in the Philippines, acknowledging the roots of Filipino people’s migration to Canada.

After reading a solidarity message sent from Professor Jose Maria Sison, the participants heard from Ning Alcuitas, Vice-Chair of the National Alliance of Philipine Women in Canada. Alcuitas—a former youth organizer and founding member of UKPC/FCYA-Vancouver—spoke about the important role youth play in the Filipino community’s struggle for its rights and welfare in Canada and the Filipino people’s struggle for national and social liberation.

Providing a framework for the discussion over the 2-day gathering, Alcuitas stressed the importance for youth organizers and activists to know, study and propagate the proud revolutionary history and legacy of the youth, especially knowing and studying the history of the national democratic (ND) youth movement in the Philippines. In the present context, Alcuitas described the key role youth are playing in the campaign to oust corrupt, fake and puppet President Arroyo from power. In addition, Alcuitas gave the examples of Filipino-Canadian youth who have gone on exposure trips in the Philippines for extended periods of time to integrate and learn from the basic mass sectors of Philippine
society.

Alcuitas not only emphasized the responsibility that Filipino youth in Canada youth have in raising awareness of the current situation of the
Philippines. She reiterated the position and analysis of the participating organizations, that Filipino youth in Canada have two main tasks, which are 1) to take up the comprehensive task of educating, organizing and mobilizing the youth in Canada and the patriotic and
progressive forces in the Filipino-Canadian community to fight for the rights and welfare; and 2) to link up with the youth in the Philippines and support and participate in the struggle of the Filipino youth and the entire Filipino people for their national and social liberation.

From Alcuitas’ presentation, she instilled a sense of importance for Filipino youth to continue the organizing work established decades ago by youth organizers in Canada, and instilled a sense of leadership Filipino youth have in creating change for the future of the Filipino community.

Carlo Sayo presented an ongoing history of the Filipino-Canadian youth organizing as far back as 1984, when a group of Filipino-Canadian students first gathered to discuss their issues. Sayo stressed the significance of the organizing work among Filipino youth that has been ongoing for over 20 years in Canada, and identified three main periods of that development: from the early stages, where Filipino youth where searching for meaning and their place as youth of colour in Canada; to the deepening of the understanding of the issues they face; to the present, where Filipino youth now have a deepened and critical analysis of their issues, and are prepared to advance and confront those issues nationally.

Sayo also reminded the participants of the 2001 national Filipino youth gathering under the theme “Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas: Gumising ka, Kabataang/ Reclaiming our Past, Shaping our Future” where the three organizing groups had previously met, along with groups from Ottawa and Winnipeg. From 2001, they identified the need for a national formation of Filipino youth in Canada, which strengthened the organizing work leading to “Pagsulong” in 2006.

From the three cities, the organizations presented their brief histories, their successes and challenges and their current work. Rodney Patricio spoke on behalf of Kabataang Montreal and shared that most of their members came from so-called “gangs” and are now community activists and organizers. For UKPC/FCYA-TO, Mithi Esguerra spoke about their involvement in ongoing anti-racism campaigns such as “Justice for Jeffrey” on the case of the 17-year old Filipino male shot three times in the back by Toronto police. Carl Cortes presented work of UKPC/FCYA-Vancouver since its formation in 1995, and their ongoing campaigns. He spoke of the deepening of their anti-racism analysis,
which is now shared across the country, and of continued exposure trips of their members wiching to integrate with organizers and communities in
the Philippines. The three city sharings linked the common issues Filipino youth face on major cities across Canada, and provided the framework for the basis of unity of the national formation.

The evening of day one closed with solidarity night, where participants from each city shared their talents in song and poetry about the Philippines, their issues and their culture.

Day two of “Pagsulong” started with intense discussions around the basis of unity, which would define the purpose and aims of the national
UKPC/FCYA. The basis of unity recognized that Filipino youth in major cities across Canada share the same challenges and barriers to development such as racism, class exploitation, gender oppression and
family separation and reunification, and that their issues are related and rooted in the semi-feudal and semi-colonial system of the Philippines. They agreed that the socio-economic and political crisis in the Phiippines continue to force Filipinos abroad, and that Canada is accountable for the underdevelopment of the Filipino community, by taking advantage of the cheap labour and not recognizing the skills of educated Filipino immigrants. Recognizing the fact that organizing Filipino youth in Canada has been ongoing for two decades, the participants commited to establishing the national UKPC/FCYA to expose and oppose the issues they face. From the basis of unity, a general program of action was drafted. This is the program of educating, organizing and mobilizing that  the formation will undertake over the next 3 years advance and strengthen nationally.

Once the basis of unity and program was established, a national council was then formed to have representation from all three cities. Currently sitting on the council are Rainiel DeGuzman, Carl Cortes and Carlo Sayo (Vancouver), Mithi Esguerra and Ching Esguerra (Toronto), and Rodney Patricio, Chuck Patricio and Joy Carreon (Montreal). Two seats on the council are being reserved for representatives from Ottawa and Winnipeg,
recognizing that there is progressive youth initiatives in those cities as well. Once formed, the national council then elected their executive officers. The national executive committee is comprised of: Carlo Sayo as Chair, Rodney Patricio as Vice-Chair, Mithi Esguerra as Secretary General and Carl Cortes as Deputy Secretary General.

After some brief words from the council and executives, thank yous to the volunteers, and a unifying song, the weekend came to a close. The participants came out of the conference with a deeper sense of meaning, a greater unity among their organizations and a recognition of their role and responsibilities as Filipino youth in Canada. While positive work has been happening regionally over the years, Filipino youth now have a important, united and collective voice that will empower the Filipino community towards genuine equality, development, and liberation.