The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) agreed with the Social Weather Stations survey that said that more Filipinos are expecting a less jovial Christmas this year. According to Ka Willy Marbella, spokesperson of KMP, “actually what the survey did was just to state the obvious feeling of our populace. To be honest, though we think that the figure of the rising number of pessimists should have been higher. This could be attributed to the falling economy due to constant oil price increases, power rate increases, water rate increases, corruption in government and the military, the massacre in Hacienda Luisita, the tragedy due to illegal logging and for having a president that is not truly serving the people,”

“Just imagine what Christmas would be like to the families of the martyrs of Hacienda Luisita or the strikers. Think of the families of the victims of the flashfloods in Aurora, Quezon, Bicol and Rizal. While the Cojuangcos and Aquinos as well as the owners of big commercial logging companies will have a very bountiful noche buena and pockets lined with cash. The families of peasant have nothing or little to eat, or does not even have a roof over their heads this Christmas,” added the peasant leader.

As for his part Carl Anthony Ala, public information officer of the group, “another sure shot indication that we are in for a gloomier Christmas and New Year, is the use of firecrackers of our country-men. During the past years as early as the second week of November we can hear firecrackers being ignited to herald the holidays, but now you can hardly hear a peep of a firecracker these days. Due to the economic crunch hardly anyone buys firecrackers anymore,”

“Though of course this has a positive aspect because fewer hands can be blown off, but that is missing the point. The point is that our country is under such a gloomy spell because of our mismanaged economy and if all the moves of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration is to be considered then it will only get worse,” ended Ala. # # #
 

KMP - 24 December 2004