The last months of 2023 has been marked by the further intensification of the crisis of the semicolonial and semifeudal ruling system under the oppressive, puppet and fascist US-Marcos regime. Price increases, economic slowdown, worsening corruption, and rise in government debt has continued unabated.

As a result of the burdensome policies of the Marcos regime, the Filipino masses are faced with deteriorating living standards, worsening unemployment, economic dispossession, lack of income, low wages, hardship and hunger.

On the other hand, various sectors have responded with persevering struggle and protests against the onerous and oppressive US-Marcos regime. In recent weeks, successive transport strikes and protest actions have been mounted across the country against the imminent measures that would take away the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of jeepney drivers and operators. In addition, various democratic sectors such as workers, peasants, fisherfolk, teachers, health workers, student youth and others continue to fight for their economic and political demands.

The steady growth of these struggles are bound to accelerate in the coming months next year, as the deterioration of the crisis-ridden system is set to accelerate under the US-Marcos regime. In addition to economic and socioeconomic issues, a slew of political issues, such as the construction of new US military bases, charter change, human rights violations, and others are stirring increasingly frequent and bigger street protest actions, people’s assemblies and expansion of people’s organized ranks.

In the next year, national-democratic forces should exert all-out effort and be more daring in mass work to reach greater numbers and more effectively lead their struggles. This work should be done systematically and indefatigably. Hundreds of teams should be put up to do propaganda and organizing work. Train and raise their capacity to improve methods of leadership of the masses. They should carry out political discussions and activities on a daily basis to raise their knowledge and awareness and to sharpen their minds for analysis. A plan should be forged to ensure the the number of people reached increases every passing week and month in workplaces, communities, schools, offices and other places of concentrations.

National-democratic forces should conduct widespread campaigns of social investigation and class analysis in different areas and sectors. At various levels, data and information should be systematically assembled to identify the specific conditions and problems facing the masses within the framework of the semicolonial and semifeudal system. Data should be analyzed from the proletarian class perspective to expose the oppression and exploitation of the masses. The task is to link these to the issues besetting the entire people and to expose the lies of the ruling regime. We must identify the calls that will rouse the masses and the methods to organize and mobilize them for the national-democratic movement.

Advance all-out a widespread propaganda-education movement among the masses that will fully expose the anti-poor and subservient US-Marcos regime. Raise the masses’ consciousness and rouse their militance and courage to collectively struggle for their democratic rights and interests under the reactionary law without being limited by it. The US-Marcos regime and the reactionary state must be fully exposed as political representatives of the entire ruling class that serve the interests of the ruling bourgeois compradors and big landlords, and foreign banks and companies.

Raise the ability of national-democratic forces to quickly release statements that analyze issues to help guide the masses in their analysis and action. Turn the cities and countryside red with the patriotic and democratic clamor of the people. Aim for saturation of sweeping and solid propaganda forms that directly reach the masses. Mount assemblies and lightning cultural performances in factories, schools, churches, markets, terminals, and communities for mass discussions or joint viewing of progressive movies, documentaries or news reports. Carry these out not only to have the masses watch or listen, but to give them the opportunity to air their grievances, express their views and show solidarity.

Overcome all factors that weaken or prevent the democratic mass movement from advancing. Identify, root out and repudiate all the factors that weigh down on the masses, including all forms of doubt, hesitation or fear among the masses and organized forces. All these will be overcome by waging and leading mass struggles. There are many new tasks that need to be fulfilled, thus, many new forces need to be trained. From the crucible of mass struggles in the coming months will emerge new ranks of national-democratic forces from among the masses, which will raise the vigor and courage of the masses in the cities and countryside.

Trust new forces especially among the younger generations: dare to give them responsibility, guide them, assess and sum-up their experience for them to grow rapidly and shoulder ever greater tasks. At the same time, train new cadres who will lead in different fields of work, and comprehensively train them ideologically, politically and organizationally.

The Party and the revolutionary forces should strengthen its leadership as we persevere in strengthening the revolutionary mass movement both in the cities and countryside. This is a corollary task to the main task of leading the New People’s Army and promoting the revolutionary armed struggle in the countryside.