National minorities face various forms of oppression and exploitation under the semicolonial semifeudal social system. They lack access to education and health services due to the reactionary state’s neglect.

Instead of teachers and doctors, the state deploys armed soldiers to indigenous communities to suppress their rights, especially their right to their ancestral land. In addition, they suffer from widespread chauvinism and discrimination.

Poverty and oppression are what roused indigenous youths Ka Lubid, Ka Ran and Ka Jana. It is these that led them to the path of the people’s democratic revolution and ultimately to join the New People’s Army (NPA).

Red Commander

“I realized leading the Army is difficult. Countless things have to be considered and accomplished, but I won’t back down. To us comrades, everything can be done, as long as there’s unity,” shared Ka Lubid, a newly appointed NPA unit commander in Mindoro. He enthusiastically accepted the challenges whatever the situation, having long prepared to serve as Red commander since joining the NPA.

Last year, Ka Lubid’s unit faced heightened and intensified enemy attacks. With firm grip on military discipline and mass line, they triumphantly thwarted the fascists’ evil plans.

Ka Lubid’s mastery of the terrain and deep grasp of the masses’ situation serve as advantage for his unit to carry out correct war manuevers. Whenever the enemy approaches, he calmly prepares to fight.

He trained in various types of revolutionary work years before becoming a unit commander. He said: “I have committed my life to the revolution, thus I will do everything for it to triumph.”

People’s artist

Ka Ran, a Party branch’s cultural officer in an NPA unit in Quezon, is a Dumagat youth teeming with energy and skills. He is a writer and a member of Pulang Bandila (Red Banner), the cultural arm of the NPA. He leads the cultural activities of his unit and in the production of literary works, particularly poems and plays.

Ka Ran already exhibited dedication to writing even as a child. He is also fond of writing letters to his family and friends. But because his family had to hide and frequently move from one place to another, he failed to finish elementary schooling.

Ka Ran was already involved in propaganda and cultural work in his community before joining the NPA. Within the revolutionary movement, his writing proficiency and other talents were further developed. From poetry writing, he participated in composing action-songs and also directed plays.

“I want to express through art the correctness of waging revolution to encourage the masses to join the people’s war,” said Ka Ran.

Doctor, dentist, acupuncturist

Ka Jana sees herself fortunate for being the only one among all the youths in her community to have reached college. Elders told her to return to serve their tribe.

Jana fulfilled the advice. She finished her medical course, not from a bourgeoise university, however, but in an NPA Red academy. Now she is serving full time as a doctor, dentist and acupuncturist to her tribes people and people in the area covered by her unit.

“Ka Jana has great potentials in medical work. She has masterful hand control, is gentle but pinpoint in acupuncture, and precise in performing operations. Patients truly trust her,” said Ka Maru, Ka Jana’s medical training instructor.