A conference of gains in Northeastern Luzon
Combat conservatism and surrenderism. Dare to achieve major advances. These were the tasks that the revolutionary forces in Northeastern Luzon set for themselves during the Party's second regional conference in 1999.
At the third regional conference in mid-2004, the Northeastern Luzon Party Committee was pleased to announce the successful implementation of the tasks set in 1999. The conference attended by 36 delegates and three observers was successfully held in one of the region's newly consolidated villages despite the presence of enemy forces scouring the area.
The conference also elected the region's new leadership, which combines the wealth of experience of senior cadres and the intense vitality of newer ones. It likewise stipulated the ever bigger tasks of the revolutionary movement in Northeastern Luzon for the next three years. The new Three-Year Program's objective is to "accelerate efforts to enhance the region's capability to meet the national leadership's call to raise the level of people's war."
The objectives are founded on a number of significant accumulated victories. Even as the delegates mourned the death of some leading cadres and members, they vigorously applauded as the Political Report enumerated the gains that had been achieved. They were gains not easily realized because committees within the regional Party organization first had to hurdle an intense two-line struggle even as the then small number of revolutionary forces faced the bigger and stronger enemy troops. But with guidance from the Party's national leadership, with the cadres and members' loyalty to the cause and their sincere desire to advance the revolution, and because conditions were extremely favorable for the people to launch militant action against oppression and exploitation, the revolutionary forces successfully overcame their conservatism and uncertainty. The party committees firmly led mass struggles and the army units in military work.
According to the Political Report, Party membership in Northeastern Luzon tripled in the last five years. Local Party branches more than doubled in number and the Party leadership was strengthened from the regional to the section level.
In 2003, all front committees led successful struggles against large-scale landgrabbing and for the reduction of usury. Prevailing interest rates were reduced by up to 50%. Farmgate prices for the peasants' produce were raised and fraud in the marketplace was largely eradicated in 350 barrios in 12 towns. Some 10,000 peasants in 200 barrios mobilized for struggles that benefited about 366,800 people or 55,000 families.
In 2004, electoral struggle and agrarian revolution were simultaneously undertaken to make each serve the other, and to oust a despotic provincial governor in the election. An antimalaria campaign likewise achieved positive results within the New People's Army (NPA) and among the masses.
People in the region also tasted the sweetness of victory in the face of the grave hardships they have suffered, especially since they were also victims of warlord oppression and military repression. With the victory of mass struggles led by the Party, the broad masses of the people all the more recognize the armed revolutionary movement's political influence in the region.
The number of consolidated barrios as well as villages targeted for expansion has begun to expand. There was a temporary reduction in number when previously independent squads were concentrated to constitute the platoon as the basic formation. Not only has the NPA's areas of operation expanded anew. Important towns were recovered, including those previously categorized as "unyielding." This experience has proven that there really was no such thing as an "unyielding" area so long as the interests of the masses are advanced. This is in contrast with employing "recovery by fire," which was used in the mid-1980s.
The mass base has doubled in size; the number of organizing groups, organized masses, organized women and youth tripled in number. The number of organized peasants quadrupled and the number of activists grew 12 times. The number of organizing committees grew 35 times. Scores of full-fledged mass organizations have been established, when before there were none.
The NPA has more than doubled in size in the region. Before the assessed period, not a single tactical offensive (TOs) had been launched in four years. This time, all of the guerrilla fronts were able to launch TOs.
In the cities and town centers, it is the militant forces who are at the lead in struggles launched by the peasant and youth movements in the region. Because of the campaign against large-scale landgrabbing, the peasants have been able to achieve a number of gains in six large community clusters encompassing 36,579 hectares of land. Meanwhile, the progressive student organization leads the school council in the region's largest university, and continues to expand.
Overall conditions in the region are exceedingly favorable for the further all-sided advance of the revolutionary movement and achieving the objectives set by the recently concluded conference. To accomplish them, the gains from agrarian revolution and the electoral struggle must be reaped and the struggle of the people and their army raised to a higher level. More effort must be exerted to improve education and organizational work within the Party. The pacing of mass work must be accelerated and its level raised and intensified. Conservatism in military work must be thoroughly stamped out and army building and style of work improved.
With the continued perseverance of the revolutionary forces in Northeastern Luzon, the delegates' resounding applause will once more be heard as the gains that will surely be achieved are announced in the next regional conference.
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