Monday, January 26, 2009

Kamalayan History: An Insider's Account

KAMALAYAN HISTORY: An Insider's Account
by Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.
Written sometime in 1998, and finished in 1999


Writing historical account is not a vain, but a challenge, most especially if there's no actual written account on the matter, or there are no written sources to use. Documents and other resource materials are very important in giving details and searching for truth. But if there is none, it is the discretion of the writer, to oblige himself to research and interview people, for it is the actual people or the people involved that can give justice to its history. Seeking for truth is like searching for a missing link, piecing different links of a jigsaw puzzle or looking for a brilliant move in chess. No wonder many were challenged to become journalist, historian, and investigative writer. Writing memoirs of the actual historical events is one of the methods we can use, most especially if you are involved or became a part of it. Five years have been passed, but Kamalayan has still no popular written account on its rise and fall, its victory and defeat. The very rich history of Kamalayan should not be put in vain. This article is an attempt to give justice to Kamalayan, one of the strongest and respected youth movement in the annals of activism in Philippine history. This is actually a memoir of some members and former members of Kamalayan.

Kamalayan was born together with different mass organizations who declared their autonomy from their national leadership, when the leading mass movements in the country were marred by debates and disputes in the early '90s. In 1993, many organization in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other parts of the country broke away from their national democratic groupings to get rid of their Sisonite heritage, a bankrupt poisonous tradition that brought disaster and death to many activists and revolutionaries. This became a battle against two evil forces hunting humanity: the Stalinism and Maoism. Two ideologies that destroyed the beauty, essence and promises of Marxism-Leninism. They broke away because they don't adhere with the idea that revolution should come from the barrel of the gun, as what Mao says. They realized that revolution is not war, and war is not revolution.

In 1993, the League of Filipino Students - National Capital Region (LFS-NCR) broke away from LFS-National and formed the KAMALAYAN (Kalipunan ng Malayang Kabataan). KAMALAYAN was conceived on November 30, 1993, at the PUP. It was attended by former members of the LFS-NCR from eleven different schools in the National Capital Region. KAMALAYAN's birth coincided with the 130th year of the birth of Gat Andres Bonifacio, the unacknowledged first Filipino president and the first president from the working class. During its early years, Kamalayan became a force to reckon with within the student activist movement, and rivaled the nationalist League of Filipino Students. Kamalayan's first Executive Committee (Execom) was composed of Rommel Yamzon (FEU), President; Rosario "Jing" Orda (UP-Manila), Vice President; and Abner Valenzuela (Mapua), Secretary-General. They still adhere then with its former national democratic orientation, but with a socialist perspective. Throughout its actions and activities, the leadership adopted the Marxist-Leninist ideology, and debunked its national democratic ideas and its Stalinist-Maoist venom.

Kamalayan contributed in the success of many people's struggle, such as the campaign against the EVAT (KOMVAT), the oil price hike (NOHWAY) and Kilusang Roll Back (KRB). They also helped other student leaders in the success of the National Festival of Student Leaders held in the City of Springs in Los Baños, Laguna, on February 25-27, 1994, when the National Federation of Student Councils (NFSC) was conceived. Ms. Mary Theobelle "Bambam" Parreño of UP-Manila is the founding president of the NFSC.

On September 7-9, 1994, the first regional congress of Kamalayan was held in Cavite. Elected in the Regional Executive Committee (REC) were John Bayarong (FEU), chairperson; William "Bogs" De Cello (PUP), vice chairperson; Judy Ann Chan (UP-Manila), secretary-general; Rex Segutier (PUP), campaign officer; Eric Suñas (FEU), education officer; Jasmin E. Pelayo (PLM), finance officer; and Greg Bituin Jr. (FEATI U), basic masses integration (BMI) officer. Ross Delgado (Letran) was appointed to the REC as assistant sec. gen, while Mike Garay (De La Salle) and Victor Vargas (PUP) were appointed members of the education committee. Kamalayan adopted the green, feminist, internationalist, socialist youth orientation. They published their weekly newspaper called PIDBAK, where different issues and analysis on current situations were discussed. In 1995, Kamalayan, together with the NFSC, spearheaded the formation of SAVE (Students Advocates for Voters Empowerment), where four out of seven candidates they endorsed won seats in Congress. They were Congresswoman Sandy Ocampo (Manila - 6th Dist.), Congressmen Joker Arroyo (Makati); Mike Defensor (QC-3rd Dist.), and Rey Calalay (QC - 1st Dist.).

On August 26, 1995, Kamalayan held a general assembly at Amoranto Stadium where a new set of officers were elected. Those elected were Tracy Pabico (FEU), president; Rodrigo Rivera (PLM), internal vice president; Peter Leaño (UP-Manila), external vice president; Rex Segutier (PUP), secretary general; Victor Vargas (PUP), education officer; and Job Bordamonte (PUP), campaign officer. Kamalayan's orientation was made comprehensive as the revolutionary socialist organization.

In 1996, Kamalayan geared for trade union integration, and also spearheaded the formation of the Bukluran ng Kabataan para sa Pagbabago (BKP), organized during the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election. During the first semester, the main struggle that gained mileage was the issue of tuition fee increase (TFI), where students from three major universities in Manila (FEATI University, Manuel Luis Quezon University and the Technological University of the Philippines) protested against the TFI. The Magna Carta of Students became a hot issue when Kamalayan members from MLQU and FEU launched hunger strike in front of their respective schools. In 1997, Kamalayan geared for national organizing. Kamalayan also published two issues of Kamalayan Journal which was spearheaded by Execom.

On November 25, 1997, Kamalayan joined students from different schools and other student organizations, such as NFSC and the Youth Arise, in their campaign to enact the Magna Carta of Students, dubbed as the National Day of Protest. Almost 2,000 students attended the said mobilization in the Senate.

The first part of 1998 saw the dwindling of its membership. Only 100 Kamalayan members attended their general assembly held January 29, 1998. According to a draft paper entitled "Anatomy of Disintegration: The Dispersal of Kamalayan as an Organization" written by a former member of NEC, "We mobilized close to one thousand students... on November 25. But instead of an increase in our membership, even our former membership of 300 fell." And it added, "Before the summer break, we had only around 50 members, including members of the supreme council, the secretariat, and those working in the committees. Also included are those grouped under the national organizing committee (NOC)?"

Kamalayan leadership wrote their assessment, "Compounding the decrease in membership is the dwindling output of the committees (campaign, education, women's collective, etc.) at the regional level during the next three months. Participation in the education sessions launched by the EDCOM was also low. Fewer discussion groups were launched by the chapters. The SA and the Journal were not published. We were unable to form alliance on campus. The broad political movement (related to the economic crisis) that we aimed did not materialize. On the organizational question, we were not able to form teams and strong execoms. Only a few comrades did various works at the local level."

What happened to Kamalayan? Is it because of its orientation, its action, or its leadership? The failure of the Kamalayan Execom lies, probably, to its weak leadership, which resulted to the dwindling of its present membership.

But the same position paper defended the stance of its leaders. They pointed out that they have adopted a number of resolutions during their GA, such as "continuation of previous program, deployment of all members of REC to national organizing, implementation of 18 resolutions on our participation in the election, support to the candidacy of ECL, participation in Sanlakas campaigns, building of the Women's Collective, and others." They also discussed preparations for its national congress.

Debate about Kamalayan's participation in the May '98 national election exploded from its leadership throughout its members. In the paper they claimed that their "support of ECL and Sanlakas was decided by the GA." ECL or Edcel Lagman ran for senator, while Sanlakas participated in the first party-list election. But Kamalayan leaders said that they will not let their organization become an appendage of any political machinery. "What is wrong is the dispersal of the leaders and activists of Kamalayan and their insertion into the electoral machinery of ECL."

The Kamalayan leadership charged those who joined the recently held political exercise of "electoralism," a term they associated with reformism. But different chapters of Kamalayan didn't agree with what the Kamalayan's REC lament. Thus, Kamalayan broke into two factions: the leadership versus its chapter membership.

In August 1998, the whole REC headed by Tracy Pabico broke ties with the other Kamalayan faction and formed the Kamalayan-LSK (Liga ng Sosyalistang Kabataan). Almost five months have passed, the two factions met again, but not in a negotiating table, but on a mobilization. On September 16, 1998. the seventh anniversary of the junking of the Military Bases Agreement, only about twenty members of Kamalayan-LSK headed by Pabico showed up in the rally against the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), while the other Kamalayan faction, headed by Carlo Cleofe, arrived with about 10 times more than the Kamalayan-LSK. That rally, particularly in the youth sector, became a show of force for the Cleofe-led Kamalayan.

On September 19, 1998, Kamalayan held its congress at the Gastambide church in Sampaloc, Manila. This time, they change their full name from "Kalipunan ng Malayang Kabataan" into "Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Manggagawa" but its acronym is still Kamalayan. They also changed their orientation from "revolutionary socialist organization" to a more comprehensive "alliance of the sons and daughters of the working class."

Kamalayan changed their identity, but not their ideas. They changed the full name of Kamalayan, but not their principle. Kamalayan's struggle against social injustices happening around the country is reflected in their ideas, and not just in their ideologies; in their actions, not just in their activities.

This 1999, Kamalayan is becoming stronger, more mature and a lot better than before. But they still have a lot to prove.

This is an unfinished chronicle of Kamalayan. We hope that members and former members will add more on its rich historical account, because we believe that the future of student activism lies in the "anak ng mga manggagawa." We also hope that some errors, if any, be corrected. Through this, Kamalayan's legacy to the victory and defeat of student activism in their struggle for the emancipation of the people from the bondage of greed and poverty will not be put in vain.

Mabuhay ang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Manggagawa! Mabuhay ang Kamalayan!

(Note: I showed this article to leaders-organizers of Kamalayan in its raw stage and still editing. This probably made them plan to change the name of Kamalayan in its next congress to make another history different from the turbulent years of Kamalayan. Sometime in 2000, during its congress, Kamalayan's name was change into Kampi, which means Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Manggagawang Pilipino. This ended Kamalayan as an organization of youth activist. Today, Kamalayan is dead, but its legacy remains. Long live Kamalayan!)


11 comments:

Aleli said...

hi greg,

this is jas pelayo. it is nice to read your blog about this and im happy that to read your writings on this platform.

i haven't seen you or heard from you for a decade. history is dead and we should always move forward with lessons learned. i hope we can now embrace a new political path that would release us from the fetter of bureaucracy and dogmatism. you are a very dynamic person full of unique ideas and your initiatives are underrated.

let's dream, fight and create a associations living by the principles of anti-authoritarianism, direct democracy, mutual aid and equality where our individuality is respected.

welcome to a new breed of social activists. take a stroll...www.crimethinc.com...THE EX-WORKERS' COLLECTIVE HOME.

CIAO!

bitcypher said...

My name is Erickson Zapata Campaign Officer KAMALAYAN PUP-1995. Nice article, so bad I that happened but I still believe in the doctrine we are fighting for yung ngalang I still believe in GOD.

ordsky said...

hi greg!kamusta?its been a long time since....i don't know.looking back, the KAMALAYAN experience made more critical of our stand on the current situations then and now.i've learned that there's a lot of ways of "skinning a cat".that experience actually challenged me to put theory into practice, so to speak.to be frank, after my stint with KAMALAYAN, all other things that happened thereafter were vague to me.i sort of wandered into oblivion.i guess nobody didn't know what to do with people like me.i think the organization lacked some sort of "career-pathing" for its members. remember, it was the time when all sorts of left-leaning factions were at their prime.if only the "anak ng mga manggagawa" would realize that we can't be stagnant and must progressed to the next level, then maybe the interaction between the youth and worker's sectors would be less burdensome. the realities of economic survival and idealism clash once a student finishes his/her course.and most of the time, economics wins.it need not be that way if only there was a clear path of transition from being a student activist to a social activist.it would be nice to discuss this matter on a personal level and i hope we can get together sometime. but its nice to see you doing what you love and do best.:)

Judge Rosario "Jing" Orda-Caise
Former KAMALAYAN member

Depende Yan! said...

hello. i am louie alonso aka louie girl, former secretary general of kamalayan pup (2005-2006). i miss our former members. nice to see erickson and jing here.

sayang...is there a way where we can revive kamalayan?

TalkBack said...

greg,

galing ng article mo. I hope some would contribute more 'events' that happened. It may trigger more stories from former members.

I remember our 'hound clinton campaign.' 24 hours yata tayo nasa kalsada noon. I remember getting enveloped by tear gas at the former senate at night. That was the first time, I think, that the Ramos government dispersed and gassed protesters. Baross and several others did not budge, kahit pa balot na sila ng tear gas.

I also remember the Kamalayan going national.

more later

si greg said...

Kapag pumula ang araw sa silangan
tandang nakikibaka ang Kamalayan
laban sa mapagsamantala’t gahaman
at nagpapatuloy pa ang tunggalian
sa pagitan ng mahirap at mayaman
para sa pagbabago ng kalagayan
tungo sa isang sosyalistang lipunan.”

Sa mga dating opisyal at kasapi ng Kamalayan,

Kayo po ay malugod na inaanyayahang magsulat ng inyong akda, sanaysay, memoirs, tula, at magpasa ng litrato ng rali o pagkilos ng Kalipunan ng Malayang Kabataan (KAMALAYAN) para sa ilulunsad na libro ng kasaysayan ng KAMALAYAN. Ang artikulo sa itaas ay simula pa lamang, at hindi pa ito ang kabuuan, wala ring mga litrato. Nais naming ibahagi nyo ang inyong karanasan sa kasaysayan ng ating pinanggalingang organisasyon.

Nailunsad na ang aklat ng SDK, na pinamagatang “Militant But Groovy” noong Marso 13, 2008 sa Palma Hall, UP Diliman. Ngayon naman, balak nating tipunin ang mga sulatin ng mga dating opisyal at kasapi ng Kamalayan para mailunsad ito sa ika-17 anibersaryo nito sa Nobyembre 30, 2010. Bahagi na ng kilusang estudyante ang Kamalayan, kaya ang proyektong isalibro ang mga karanasan ng mga dating kasapi at opisyales nito ay napapanahon, upang maiukit natin sa kasaysayan ang ating mga ginawa nuong panahong iyon, upang mabasa ng mga bagong henerasyon ngayon ang kasaysayan ng Kamalayan.

Ang katangian ng libro ay katipunan ng mga akda, at hindi pa isang buong kasaysayan. Bahala na ang mga susunod na henerasyon kung paano nila gagawing isang buong sanaysay ang kasaysayan ng Kamalayan na maaari nilang ilabas bilang ika-2 aklat para sa 20th anibersaryo ng Kamalayan sa 2013. Ang mahalaga ngayon ay matipon, maisulat at mailathala ito ngayong 2010.

Mangyaring ipasa ang inyong akda sa aklatangobrero@gmail.com. Kung may mga litrato kayo ng mga rali ng Kamalayan, mangyaring bigyan din kami ng kopya para mailathala sa libro. Ang deadline po ng pasahan ng akda ay sa Nobyembre 25, 2010, upang mabigyan pa ng panahon ang pag-edit, pag-layout, at pagpi-print ng libro. Inaasahan po namin ang inyong suporta sa proyektong ito. Maraming salamat po.

sunshine said...

Hi,Greg,

This is Shyne of MLQu.It was good to learn about kamalayan's history.I am so proud i have come to met a brilliant person like you,Being a student activist at first was kinda freaky to me...the mobs,the agitation etc. Even the looks of some members were really peculiar for me.But all the fears and anxiety have been transformed
into strength and knowledge.As for me,being a kamalayan will be a lifetime role and not just a memory to ponder upon.I have learned so many things and still ideas are flowing which would definitely be of help in living my ordinary everyday life.
Thank you,Greg for your kind and comforting words ...

angelo said...

sana ma post din ang history ng NFSC, may souvenir issue pa nga yan, d ko lang alam kung nakapagtabi si bam-bam

Mamerto Mauntol said...

Ako ay lubos na nagagalak dahil nakarating ako sa blog na ito. Dati akong seminarista na naging miyembro ng Kamalayan noong 1995. Sa tulong ni Mike - nakalimutan ko na ang buong pangalan nya - binuo namin ang Kamalayan sa Trinity College Q.C. Si Mike ay galing sa Letran na nagtransfer sa Trinity noong 1995. Doon kami nagkakilala at itinaguyod ang Kamalayan sa Trinity. Noong taong 1995 din nung ako ay lumabas sa seminaryo. Halos dalawang dekada na din ang nakalilipas. Anim kami noon na pinipilit itaguyod ang Kamalayan sa Trinity. 5 kaming lalake at 1 babae. Lahat sila ay mga dating LFS na nanggaling sa ibat ibang universidad (Letran, PUP, UP) at ako lang ang naiiba dahil ako ay galing sa kumbento. Matapos ang isang taong pakikibaka, ako ay nagpasyang bumaik sa kumbento upang ipagpatuloy ang aking pag aaral hanggang sa tuluyan nakong mawalan ng komunikasyon sa kanila.

Unknown said...

PARANGAL para sa ala-ala at mga naging kontribusyon nina kasamang Eric Bernardo "Kolak" Suñas ng Education Commitee at Rhodelee "Rhodz" Espinola ng UP Manila at KAMALAYAN Regional Committee (Sektoral)!

edward dalangin said...

Magandang araw!!!

Salamat at nakarating ako dito sa blog mo ka Greg. Maganda ang itong panulat. Mas maganda sana kung naisama ang mga chapter ng kamalayan. Sa mga nakadaumpang palad ni ka Rey tubelonia aka ka nico, sya po ay namaalam na ilang taon na rin ang lumipas. Ganito PA man ang màngyari sa kamalayan, ako at aking may bahay ay lubos na nagpapasalamat at kami ay pinagtagpo.