AKBAYAN Updates 1 2007 _SAP_ page 1-6

International Bulletin
AKBAYAN Updates
Featuring Cooperation Projects with SAP
Issue #1 - December 2007
Published by AKBAYAN Citizens’ Action Party, Philippines
THE 2007 AKBAYAN GOVERNANCE
AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CONFERENCE
Harnessing Lessons towards
“Transformative” Governance
Coming as it did from a somewhat shocking
setback during the May 2007 National Midterm
Elections, the Akbayan Citizens' Action Party had
immediately implemented a series of
organization-strengthening activities in order to
regain its momentum. These activities culminated
in the Transformative Governance Conference
organized by Akbayan's Governance Affairs
Committee (GAC) last September.
This conference, with the theme, “Harnessing
the Lessons of the 2007 Elections for
Transformative Governance,” was attended by
more than 40 local government officials who are
also Akbayan members. Topics for the 2-day
conference included a presentation and analysis
of the results of the May 2007 Elections; an
overview of the proposed 2010 National Political
Project; a review of Akbayan’s proposed electoral
reforms; Akbayan's proposed “new”
organizational thrust; and the proposed Partybuilding and Local Governance theme to guide
Akbayan in its preparations for the 2010
Presidential Elections. Before the conference
ended, the participants also held a planning and
strategizing activity on how to effectively
implement the new directions in their respective
areas.
In addition to the local conference participants,
five official representatives from the Social
Democratic Party of Sweden (SAP) – Party
Ombudsman, Bertil Kinnunen; Members of
Parliament, Leif Pettersson and Hanna
Bergstedt; Erica Wallin, SAP Women
Representative and Chair of Education; and
Susanne Andersson, SAP Women Chair – were
also able to attend. The five Swedish comrades
were among the eight Swedish nationals currently
in the Philippines to visit SAP's partner
organizations, especially within the Youth and
Women Sector. Being elected local officials, they
took the opportunity to visit their colleagues in
Philippine local governance work.
The SAP, through MP Leif Pettersson, expressed
its solidarity with Akbayan's local government
officials and reiterated that “everything begins
with you and me.” Meaning that the solution to
people's perceived problems begins when those
same people firmly decide to do something about
those problems. This realization, he reiterated,
was what drove the Swedish people all those
years to actively and critically engage in
governance.
The comrades from Sweden also related how
they practiced local governance in their own
country. Mr. Bertil Kinnunen gave an overview of
the Swedish Political System and explained how
this system took more than a hundred years to
develop and “mature” into the system that is in
place today. He especially highlighted the fact
that what we see today in Sweden was very much
different from what existed when the first attempts
at reform were done.
MP Hanna Bergstedt explained how the current
Swedish Welfare System worked and why it was,
in reality, a very fragile system. She explained
how the sustainability of such a welfare
system was inextricably tied up with the Social
Democrats maintaining its majority in Sweden's
government. In fact, with the SAP's recent loss of
majority status in the Swedish Parliament after
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the last elections, the conservatives were already
starting to erode some of the welfare laws (she
cited Sweden's Tax Rate for richer people as an
example) that SAP had worked so hard to enact.
Susanne Andersson also gave a short history of
the achievements of socialist women in Sweden
beginning with their winning the right to vote in
1921 and how they later won parity with men
when it came to representation in Sweden's
Party-List system. Erica Wallin, on the other hand,
shared some of the problems and issues that
women in Sweden are still facing today. Both
agreed that there was still much work to do when
it comes to women empowerment in Sweden.
Needless to say, the Pinoy women delegates
couldn't agree enough with this.
Mr. Bertil Kinnunen summed up their presentation
by saying that the Philippines, just like Sweden,
will have to discover its own style for governance.
He likewise warned that the “Swedish style,” no
matter how effective it has been or how desirable
it may seem, will work only for Sweden.
The challenge, therefore, was for the Philippines,
led of course by Akbayan members who have
been elected into office, to develop its own
effective style of governance, a truly “Tatak
Akbayan” way.
SAP Representatives visit critical Akbayan areas
in Nueva Ecija, Bulacan and Pampanga
The Akbayan Citizen's Action Party and the SAP have been partners since 2001, when several
representatives from SAP attended Akbayan's First Regular Congress (held in Marikina City). Since
then, SAP has been regularly sending official delegations to the Philippines to visit its partner
organizations and exchange learnings and experiences with their local counterparts.
This year, four SAP delegates – Bertil Kinnunen, Leif Pettersson, Hannah Bergstedt and Helena Proos
(SAP's Labor Representative) – were able to visit the following areas: Angeles City in Pampanga; the
Municipalities of Laur and Guimba in Nueva Ecija; and San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan.
Although they were not able to witness the events of the last May elections – SAP MPs Olle Thorell and
Lars Granberg were COMPACT Election Observers then – their visit, nevertheless, allowed them to feel
the “election fever” connected to the coming October Barangay Elections, in which many local Akbayan
planned to run.
SAP delegates with Pampanga Governor, Ed
Panlilio, and Akbayan Secretary General, Arlene
Santos. Gov. Panlilio, a former Catholic priest, won
despite overwhelming odds against the annointed
candidates of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in her own
home province. Gov. Panlilio later went on to
expose the recent 500,000 Pesos bribery attempt
made by GMA's people on several governors who
were called to Malacanang Palace for a meeting.
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(Right) At the office of Mr. Bong Alvaro, Akbayan
Pampanga Division Head and currently City
Administrator of Angeles. Mr. Alvaro is one of the
founding members of Akbayan and was one of the
very first party members to run for public office
during Akbayan's experimental foray into local
elections in 1998.
(Left) Visit with Mayor Daus of Laur, Nueva Ecija.
Mayor Daus' slate won overwhelmingly during the
May elections with 6 out of 7 Akbayan candidates
for Councilor making the cut. This feat was doubly
significant because they were going up against a
member of a long-entrenched Laur political clan.
(Right) Courtesy visit to Mayor Boyito Dizon of
Guimba, Nueva Ecija. Mayor Dizon, although not
officially related to Akbayan, has long been
supporting the efforts of local Akbayan leaders in
Guimba and is considered by them to be a very
important ally, especially since the militarization of
Nueva Ecija is still ongoing. Mayor Dizon provided
a Police escort to accompany the SAP visit to the
interior municipalities of Guimba so that the group
wil not be delayed by the many Army checkpoints
still in place.
(Left) Outside the Multi-purpose Hall constructed
by Akbayan in Barangay Galvan, Guimba, Nueva
Ecija. After 2 days of continuous travelling, the
SAP delegates stretch their legs before meeting
the local Akbayan people. The SAP delegates later
became minor 'celebrities' when several
elementary school students suddenly asked for
their autographs.
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(Right) SAP deleates meet the leaders and
members of Akbayan-Galvan. Discussions
centered on the recent spate of harassment by the
military of residents suspected of being communist
sympathizers. Several Akbayan leaders who were
forced to leave their villages during the height of
the military operations have now returned and are
even contemplating running in the coming October
Barangay Elections.
(Left) Two incumbent City Councilors and several
Barangay officials, apart from the local Akbayan
members, attended Akbayan-San Jose del Monte
City's meeting with the SAP delegation. Topics
discussed by the two parties included taxation
rates and how best to implement them; how to
effectively counter corruption in the local
bureaucracy; effective campaign styles; and the
concept of a “Welfare State” and how it can
become a reality in the Philippines.
ADVANCING THE ALTERNATIVE AND CONFRONTING THE CHALLENGES
AKBAYAN Youth finally holds its Founding Congress
After eight years of being “just” a coalition of
young people working for or allied with the
Akbayan Citizen's Action Party, and after three
Pre-congresses in this year – Luzon and NCR
Pre-congress, held in August in Quezon City;
Visayas Pre-congress held also in August at
Lahug, Cebu City; Mindanao Pre-congress held in
September in Cagayan de Oro City – the
Akbayan Youth finally held its Founding Congress
this November.
With the theme, “Building the Socialist Future,”
the Founding Congress was attended by over 150
delegates, representing 42 provinces and 7
national organizations. During the 3-day event,
the youth delegates discussed the different
conjunctural, ideological and organizational
issues faced by the Filipino youth of today.
This historic event was opened by former Youth
National Coordinator, Jonas Bagas, who reviewed
the milestones of Akbayan Youth's history and
reminded the delegates of the rationale for its
conception – which is to challenge the status quo
that imposes poverty and injustice on the Filipino
people.
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Keynote speaker Congresswoman Risa
Hontiveros-Baraquel, Akbayan's Representative
in the Philippine House of Representatives,
challenged the delegates to unleash their
idealism and use this as their shield when
confronting the country’s situation, marred as it is
by corruption, deception, cynicism, poverty and a
“culture of impunity.”
Akbayan's National President, Mr. Ronald
Llamas, also dared the young delegates to rise
above the seemingly hopeless environment,
which is characterized by the people’s extreme
dissatisfaction with government leaders, and a
very palpable atmosphere of desperation and
apathy. Mr. Llamas also reasserted that socialist
principles and order stand as the clear alternative
to the current, bankrupt system. Akbayan's
Secretary General, Ms. Arlene Santos, on the
other hand, shared the Mother Party’s general
directions towards 2010.
Leaders of various national and international
organizations, including the youth arms of allied
Social Democratic parties, were also in
attendance. These included Kai Burmeister of
JUSOS (Germany), Anna Crowe of the New
Zealand Young Labor, Wilson Requez of the
Young Progressives Southeast Asia, Khun-glang
Khukhuntin of YPD (Thailand), Erwin Razak of
Pergerakan (Indonesia), Mari Zakariasson of
SSU (Sweden), Mirko Herberg and Gus
Cerdeña of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Tord Dale of
AUF (Norway), and Bianca Lapuz of the Student
Council Alliance of the Philippines. The
International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) also
sent a solidarity message for the ocassion.
Akbayan Youth's organizational narrative,
Constitution and By-laws, and General Program
of Action was presented, deliberated on, and
approved during this event. This was done in
order to institutionalize Akbayan Youth as the
youth arm of the Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party.
A total of 23 resolutions were passed during the
Founding Congress. These included the Topic
Outlines of the new Basic Orientation Module and
of the proposed Political and Ideological Course;
proposals regarding key campaigns on the
Akbayan Platforms on Education and Decent
Livelihood, and on Gender, Environment, and the
Political Participation of the youth; Akbayan
Youth's solidarity with the people of Burma and
call for deepening democracy in Southeast Asia.
Finally, the members of the National Executive
Committee and National Council of the Akbayan
Youth were elected. They will serve until the First
Regular Congress in 2010.
AKBAYAN WOMEN'S STORY
The Akbayan Women, just like everyone else in the Party, were very much preoccupied with
preparations for the two elections in 2007: the May National Mid-terms and the October Barangay
Elections. This is not surprising since many Akbayan women actually ran for office during the Barangay
Elections and many actively campaigned for selected candidates during the May Elections. Needless to
say, the Electoral Committee of the Akbayan Women was working extra-hard during the latter half of this
year. While the Akbayan Women were in the midst of their preparations for the October Local Elections,
two delegates from Sweden, Susanne Andersson and Erica Wallin of SAP/S-KVinnor, happened to
also be in the country, and they maximized their stay by visiting their partner organizations in
Zamboanga, Bohol and Cebu.
In Zamboanga, Miss Andersson and Miss Wallin
met with Akbayan's Division officials and with
leaders from different sectoral organizations,
notably the tricycle drivers', community women
and vendors' groups. In these meetings, the two
Swedish women shared stories about SAP and
about Sweden, especially its current demographic
profile, political and economic situation, and
women's participation within SAP. The two women
also shared specific tools – SWOT and Four-
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NGO (ACCORD), the Swedish visitors were
updated regarding the situation of Zamboanga's
women, their current advocacies and struggles,
and including the various ways by which local
women cope with the peculiarities and challenges
that go with living and working in a multi-cultural
city such as Zamboanga.
Corner Analysis – which their local counterparts
can use for their training sessions.
Akbayan Division leaders, on the other hand,
shared about the current status of local party units,
especially with regard to women's participation
and empowerment, and about Zamboanga's
current political and economic situation.
The planned Cebu visit, unfortunately, didn't go as
well as the Zamboanga trip because the delays in
flight schedules totally wrecked the schedules for
meetings. Still, the two Swedish delegates were
able to meet briefly with Kim Karisma, the
Akbayan Women organizer for Cebu City, and so
were kept abreast on Cebu's news, views and
issues, so to speak.
The last area visited was the island of Bohol,
where several manucipalities, especially Catigbian
and Jagna, have long been “bailiwicks” of
Akbayan.
In Catigbian, Akbayan National Council member
and current Municipal Councilor, Ms. Doris
Dinorog-Obena, acted as official host to the two
S-Kvinnor delegates.
The two Swedish delegates had a chance to meet
with community women representatives and
Barangay Council officers of one of the barangays
in Catigbian and exchanged stories and
experiences regarding the situation of women
their respective communities.
In a separate meeting with another women's
organization (Mujeres) and with the staff of a local
For more information about AKBAYAN,
please visit our website.
www.akbayan.org
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