Kabataang Makabayan-Negros celebrates the 56th founding of Kabataang Makabayan. Today, we recognize the achievements and sacrifices of KM as it fulfills its role in the vanguard of the struggle for national democracy.

The Kabataang Makabayan is the comprehensive youth organization that has aroused, organized and mobilized students and out-of-school youth, young workers, urban poor, peasants, fishermen and professionals in the people’s struggle for national liberation and democracy against imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism.

Founded on November 30, 1964, the birth date of Andres Bonifacio as a way to honor his leadership in the old democratic revolution of 1896 against Spanish colonialism and to emphasize the resolve of KM to reinvigorate the revolutionary tradition of the Filipino people and continue the unfinished tasks of the Philippine revolution.

The youth have a decisive role in advancing the legal democratic movement and in waging armed struggle. The youth is characterized by their physical and mental vitality. They can easily comprehend the basic ills of society and the national democratic revolution as its solution. They are most open to revolutionary ideas and change. They are ardent and daring in mass struggles. They bring fresh blood that strengthens and enlivens the revolutionary party of the proletariat, people’s army and mass organizations.

We are now in the stage of the worsening crisis brought by the worldwide capitalist system due to the bankruptcy of neoliberal policies and imperialist aggression, and feudal oppression in the countryside. Duterte is a fascist dictator who is more bloodthirsty than Marcos and is further decomposing the already rotten semi-feudal and semi-colonial system ruled by despotic landlords, big comprador bourgeoisie and bureaucrat capitalist.

The broad masses of the Filipino people are entombed in severe poverty and hunger while power and resources are in the hands of few elites. This is further exacerbated by the ostensible criminal negligence, corruption and traitorous Duterte regime. Duterte continues to sow fear under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

The Filipino youth have no bright future under Duterte’s iron hand. The sharpening contradiction and class struggle in Philippine society is the basis of revolutionary forces to advance the people’s war. It is only just and necessary to remember and relive the historical role of the Filipino youth and our fighting patriotic spirit in strengthening and advancing the national democratic revolution.

It is the key role of the patriotic and progressive vanguard of the Filipino youth to launch massive education and cultural campaigns in the comprehensive framework of the national democratic revolution. The KM must continue to be good at arousing, organizing and mobilizing not only fellow youth but also the broad masses of the people. The KM must continue to be at the forefront of mass actions on a wide array of issues with the ultimate goal of making Duterte pay for his criminal neglect and mass murder of civilians. The KM must continue to widen the revolutionary and progressive movement and ensure the steady stream of active Filipino youth to enlist in the New People’s Army.

The Kabataang Makabayan will continue to uphold its major role in the advancing Philippine revolution and be ever conscious of the ever urgent need of the proletariat and people to strengthen their solidarity and struggle for justice and peace. We will march into the streets and into the mountains to live and learn with the masses and wage armed revolution in order to eradicate the dying semicolonial and semifeudal system. Kabataang Makabayan Negros will do everything possible and necessary in order to win the people’s war. ###

Long live Kabataang Makabayan and the Filipino youth!

Advance the Filipino people’s new democratic revolution!