This year’s commemoration of Andres Bonifacio Day has been preluded by massive mobilizations in indignation against corruption such as anomaly in budget insertions, ghost flood control and farm to road projects. Here in Negros Island, thousands of church people, youth, workers, urban poor, and other sectors participated in protests like the September 21 Martial Law commemoration and even afterwards.

It is timely and immensely important to study and take lessons from the historical progress during Bonifacio’s time wherein the foundations of our current semi-colonial and semi-feudal system has taken its form. It was land monopoly system that has placed collective lands into private ownership of the Spanish crown and local elites. Colonial and feudal relations has inevitably made the people vulnerable to oppression and exploitation. Aspirations for national freedom and to end colonial rule eventually emerged. Secularization movement, Propaganda movement, and anti-feudal armed struggle arose. The common goal for national freedom has brought together the peasant masses, workers, petty-bourgeoisie, and even progressive local elites.

At the peak of the nationwide revolt, the US bought the country from Spain and has cut short the victory of the 1896 Philippine Revolution. It maintained the feudal system in favor of its interest to source cheap raw materials and cheap labor for semi-processed products. This turned our economy dependent to US. This order needed “middle men” for foreign capital and trade and “administrators” for its puppet government to ensure US control over political, economic, and military aspects.

Thus, the emergence of comprador big bourgeoisie, and from the ranks of landlords and compradors who held position in the government, the bureaucrat capitalist. In current local context, vast hacienda and sugar plantations and milling centrals directly supply transnational companies (TNCs). Hence, local bureaucrats transact with foreign companies through monocrop sugar industry are in conscious effort to maintain the feudal system. Keeping the farm workers and agricultural workers landless, in precarious and hard labor while they receive slave-like wages without benefits. Increasing number of human rights violations amid the poverty and oppression are conducted through AFP, PNP, and NTF Elcac to suppress legitimate concerns on livelihood and basic social services.

The current economic crisis and political infighting are symptoms that the order that US imperialism has orchestrated cannot function as is. Yet, its roots in our society and overall system is still intact. In order to crush it completely, it needs long term, strategic and daring offensive.
Through the New People’s Army and the leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the only weapon that can overthrow imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat capitalism is armed struggle.

Furthermore, we cannot change the system overnight. The National Democratic Front (NDF)-Negros and its allied organizations is committed in its role to relentlessly strengthen our united front for armed revolution to educate and unite our 12-point program to workers, peasants, professionals, youth, and all progressive allies.

Along with Bonifacio Day, we celebrate the 61st founding anniversary of Kabataang Makabayan and its militant history, and is expectant of its exponential growth in the following months.

We also commemorate the life of revolutionary martyr Ericson “Ka Fredo” Acosta who was butchered by the reactionary state forces in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on November 30, 2022. NDF-Negros gives its highest salute to Ka Fredo, revolutionary leader, people’s artist and cultural worker, and all our martyrs who had given their lives to forward the revolution.

In this light, we call on Negrosanons to embrace our revolutionary identity and history, and to continue the Filipino struggle against imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat capitalism by means of strengthening the people’s democratic revolution through protracted people’s war.