What is the LFS?

The majority of the Filipinos, despite the country's rich natural resources, still wallow in poverty. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the population, mostly workers and peasants, live way below poverty line.

As unemployment rate continues to soar, many Filipinos are forced to leave the Philippines and take on slave-like jobs in foreign countries. Meanwhile, a great number of Filipino youth is denied of their constitutional right to education.

Five million Filipino youth work in odd jobs just to make a living while another 1.5 million children roam the streets. Furthermore, an average of 3, 266 children are forced into prostitution because of financial difficulties.

Through the long years of the Philippines' subjugation to political and economic foreign domination, there has never been any fundamental change in the lives of the Filipino people.

The semi-colonial and semi-feudal Philippine society will never benefit the exploited workers, the landless peasants and the other oppressed classes. As the imperialists and the local ruling class continuously plunder the country's human and natural resources, the Filipino masses are left with nothing but a firm determination to change their miserable plight. The Filipinos will never tire to struggle for a genuine liberation and democracy in the country.

Brief History of the LFS

Amidst a nation weakened by the long years of intense and massive attacks by imperialism, feudalism and bureacrat capitalism, the fire of the national democratic struggle burned in the hearts of the Filipino people.

Amidst the permanent crisis of the semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, the yearning for freedom and democracy cannot be silenced even by the brutal claws of Martial Law. Amidst the struggle of the toiling masses, the League of Filipino Students (LFS) was born.

The LFS started in 1997 as the Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral Laban sa Pagtaas ng Tuition Fee (Alliance of Students Against Tuition Fee Increase). It gathered the militant students and student organizations committed to the protection of the student's democratic rights. The LFS played a crucial role in dismantling military presence in the campuses and in the restoration of student publications and student councils.

In 1982, the LFS formally declared itself as a national democratic mass organization committed to advance the national democratic aspirations of the people. Since then, the organization continued to progress and was able to expand to almost every region in the country.

But grave errors during the late 80's brought a sharp decline to the quality and quantity of the LFS activists. Though they were still able to lead the students against the US military bases and other significant student campaigns, errors like reformism, insurrectionism and putschism nonetheless crippled the organization.

Thus, in the early 90's, the call for rectification of past errors within the whole national democratic movement was heralded throughout the country. Serious activists of the LFS painstakingly studied the past experiences of the LFS, and from thereon, extracted the lessons crucial for the militant and vigilant pursuit of the rectification process. Since then, the LFS has achieved significant success in its ideological, political, organizational strength.

Armed with the lessons of the past, and the unwavering commitment to advance the national democratic aspirations of the Filipino people, the League of Filipino Students (LFS), together with the Filipino masses, will continue to struggle for true liberation and a democracy which will genuinely serve the Filipino masses.

The Organization

The National Congress, convened every two years, is the highest policy-making body of the LFS. The Congress sets the general program of the organization. If the Congress is not in session, the National Council, convened twice every year, assumes the role of the Congress.

The day-to-day activities of the LFS, on the other hand, are supervised by the National Executive Committee (NEC). The NEC ensures the smooth implementation of the plans and policies set by the National Congress or the National Council if the Congress is not in session. The NEC is composed of a chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary-general, deputy secretary-general and the various committee heads.

Committees

Propaganda Committe
Education and Research Committee
Finance Committee
Basic Masses Commitee
International Affairs Committee

"Only through militant struggle can the best in the youth emerge. Only through the struggle can the fighting forces be constantly replenished by the ceaseless inflow of new blood."

- Jose Ma. Sison, Youth on the March

General Orientation and Particular Tasks of the LFS

Propagate the line, program, and principles of national democracy. Fight the offensives of imperialism, the reactionary government and other counter-revolutionary elements.

Raise the national democratic consciousness of the members. Raise the societal consciousness of the youth and students.

Actively support and participate in the anti-imperialist, anti-feudal and anti-fascist struggle of the Filipino people.

Uphold and fight for the democratic rights and welfare of the youth and students. Advance a nationalist, scientific and mass-oriented education.

Consolidate the greatest number of students into LFS chapters in most schools nationwide. Massively train activists for the national democratic struggle.

Learn from and be one with the basic masses - the workers and the peasants. Uphold and advance the economic and political struggle of the oppressed classes.

Move for the establishment of an anti-imperialist united front. Organize overseas Filipino youth and students in other countries into an LFS chapter.

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