nwasianweekly.com
Mar. 15, 2008

Photo by Janelle Quibuyen

Members of local organizations Pinay sa Seattle and GABRIELA USA held a rally March 8, 2008 at Jose Rizal Park, celebrating International Women’s Day and calling for the resignation of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Locals also rally against Philippine president

By Joanne Alcantara
Northwest Asian Weekly

On March 8, in honor of International Women’s Day, nearly 200 people gathered at Jose Rizal Park to celebrate the ongoing resistance of working women, mark the formalization of GABRIELA USA and rally for the ouster of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Similar actions occurred in San Francisco and New York City, as well as in the Philippines.

GABRIELA, the General Assembly Binding Women for Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leadership and Action, was first established in 1984 by women’s organizations in the Philippines uniting against the U.S.-backed Marcos dictatorship. In November 2007, GABRIELA passed a resolution to incorporate GABRIELA USA as its first overseas chapter.

Nearly 3 million Filipinos currently reside in the U.S. With over 10 percent of the Philippine population living abroad due to the economic crisis in the Philippines, the voices of Filipinos in the diaspora have become increasingly more important.

On March 8, Pinay sa Seattle-GABRIELA USA hung banners proclaiming “Women Hold Up Half the Sky” and “Let Truth Shine in Darkness — OUST GMA” (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo).

Performances, speakers and a festive atmosphere filled Jose Rizal Park as community members shared in a rare cultural experience that incorporated hip-hop, spoken word, song, guerrilla theater and chants.

The rally and celebration were part of an ongoing series of actions in Seattle, organized by BAYAN-USA and GMA Watch, calling for the ouster of President Arroyo due to her corrupt governance, poor human rights record and willingness to carry out damaging U.S. policies.

Regarding the contemporary international women’s movement, Valerie Francisco, national officer for GABRIELA USA, said, “The real international women’s power is in the everyday woman. We will organize and mobilize until our demands are met and our collective voices are heard!”

As a result of their organizing efforts, Pinay sa Seattle-GABRIELA USA was invited March 9 to present a resolution to the board of directors of the Filipino Community of Seattle condemning human rights violations and corruption by the Philippine government.

In a groundbreaking motion, the board unanimously passed the resolution.

Joanne Alcantara can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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