Written by Deo P. Palma
Ang Katipunan ng mga Samahang Maharlika (Ang KaSaMa) is a socio-economic and cultural confederation that can be traced way back 1982. Its seed was sown in the middle of a growing upheaval against the dictatorial rule of a fascist regime. The period was characterized by tremendous political and social unrest. The entire Maharlika society thirsts for a new leadership. Amidst campaign to abrogate the system, Ang KaSaMa struggled to lay down alternatives and foster the essence of progressive socialism, which is an element for society building. Primarily, Ang KaSaMa engaged in several campaigns such as the call for autonomy to the Cordillera and Mindanao region and of radical morality in the government bureaucracy.
A government that has lost its legitimacy and that no longer enjoys the trust and confidence of the people can not rule except through the use of brutal force and deception. Ninoy Aquino's assassination symbolized the extent of fascism. It catalyzed the already growing anti-exploitation sentiment of the people. People 's movement flourished. People took to streets including the Ang KaSaMa cadres. The fraudulent snap elections in 1986 served as the last straw that broke the camel's back. And the historical EDSA I took place. Amidst these events, Ang KaSaMa cadres literally took the forefront during EDSA revolution in 1986 to topple the Marcos dictatorship. More than going to the streets, however, Ang KaSaMa, presented alternatives, instead of merely shouting "Down with capitalism and feudalism."
After the revolution came the new day, a time of democratic space, fresh beginnings, and euphoric atmosphere. A period of expectations. A time of harvest. A religious and moral leadership that brings promise of liberation from quagmire of poverty. So much expectation that caused a lot of frustrations towards the end. But not so for Ang KaSaMa.
Ang KaSaMa never had such illusions. The members perfectly understand that it takes more than peaceful EDSA revolutions to change society, that it takes more than a personality and a change of leader to effect a quantum leap in the country's socio-economic status. To transform a society would require self-realization, selfless service to humanity and a great deal of sacrifice.
The 1986 experience showed the collective effort of the people to topple down a dictator, there was much hope of rebuilding Maharlika from the ruins of poverty, injustice and foreign domination. However, three decades passed and the poor have increased in number; injustices remain with ever increasing corruption in the government.
Throughout the archipelago, the guns were not silenced and an atmosphere of intolerance prevailed. We wake up to listen to a news of murder and execution and begin to suspect that these are all planned. The efficient program on, among others, reducing murder incidents and alleviating poverty were insufficient to raise hope. The plight of the ordinary people became harder and more miserable. Year after year, there was still no genuine change except for changing faces of the ruling class running the same system of malpractices of power and authority.
Ang KaSaMa was formally established on December 8, 2000 at Arayat, Pampanga. After eight years, Ang KaSaMa is still struggling to achieve a society that serves the welfare of majority of its members. However, I believe that other social movements are also taking similar road. Perhaps, this is the general picture of the Maharlikan condition in its socio-economic-cultural and political struggle for social change.
Ang KaSaMa shares the views of many progressive organizations that there can be no peace unless serious and sustained efforts are made to improve the lives of the majority. Ang KaSaMa works with other social groups to build a movement that believes in the power of faith and humanity. A social movement, not for a political party. Ang KaSaMa is a social movement focusing on issues, not elections; pursuing a vision, not lusting over power; appealing to the nobility of Maharlikan soul instead of its lone material interest. A positive movement that would oppose but also proposes; and anticipates more than react. A movement that is principled but not dogmatic. Throughout its works, Ang KaSaMa follows the framework of Progressive Utilization Theory or PROUT, more commonly known as progressive socialism. As such, Ang KaSaMa members are also called PROUTists.
In the book After Capitalism, Acharya Maheshvarananda mentioned that PROUTists must "unite the moralist." By moralist, the author meant not only the honest people, but also all those who fight against injustices. Such "moralists" are often leaders and activist in non-government organizations and social movements. They work long hours as volunteers or for little pay feeding the poor, fighting for human rights, protecting the environments, helping street children, exposing corruption, protecting the rights of indigenous people, and developing cooperatives. Most NGO's are highly participatory, and most of the leaders would agree that a new moral discourse is needed to create a brighter future. Hence, Ang KaSaMa slogan is "be moralist, unite the moralists and fight against the immorals!"
Binding Chains of Poverty Poverty dominates the picture of our society today. This can be traced to the following:
1. One percent of the population controls and owns 70 percent of the national wealth, assets, and resources (land, capital, banks, and capital equipment). While GNP has grown, real wages have gone down and much of the ecosystem has been destroyed. In short, Maharlika has adopted a socio-economic system in which economic growth makes the rich richer and the poor poorer because it is controlled by a few profit-greedy and power-motivated individuals, subservient to or collaborating with foreign interests;
2. Leadership lacks moral integrity. Many Maharlikan leaders have failed to inspire and mobilize the nation because they failed to fulfill their promises. There is no integration of their thoughts, words and deeds because of the absence of intellectual enlightenment, physical strength, moral and spiritual character. These leaders have sold out the interests of the very people whom they were supposed to serve and protect, to the higher bidder;
3. Unbalanced growth. The inability to see oneness that individual welfare lays in the collective welfare of all living beings including plants and animals, and the collective welfare lays in the welfare of the individual has caused man to be greedy, creating winners and losers in the system. It has caused imbalances in the ecological, economic, political, psychological, social and spiritual development of Maharlika and its populace;
4. Corrupted values. The propagation of false values to induce consumerism by deceptive advertising has caused people to live beyond their means to consume products unnecessary or even harmful to their physical, mental and spiritual health. This has led individuals to spend their earnings which could have been used to generate further capital formation; and
5. Subordinate relationship. Foreign control of the economy leads to the drainage of the physical and mental wealth of the region, depriving the country of much-needed resources necessary for technological advancement. Foreign interests, through the International Monetary Fund / World Bank impositions, prevented the Maharlikan economy from industrializing as their economies are dependent on Maharlika's (and other third world countries) raw materials. Subordinate relationships also exist between capital and labor, men and women, landlord and tenant which result in a lot of unproductive struggles.
These are few glaring reasons why democracy has failed to answer the serious problems confronting Maharlika. It is controlled and designed by the forces of darkness with their constantly changing strategies to exploit people through encouraging narrow sentiments. Now, do you have the courage to declare that the present system of democracy is a concept of government of thieves, robbers, and hypocrites?
With all the binding chains of poverty, Ang KaSaMa does not lose its hope and is convinced that Maharlikans are capable of regenerating this nation. Looking for ways to do this in human history is not the only solution to predicaments. Creating the new person in us as Maharlikans in a new society will rebuild the essence of security and faith in ourselves and in others.
In the words of Jose W. Diokno: "If we can but release the creative energy of our people then we will have a nation full of hope and full of joy, full of life and full of love, a nation that may not be a nation for our children but which will be a nation of our children."
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Deo P. Palma is the National Coordinator of Ang KaSaMa. The article was published in
PROUT Journal on November 2008 issue.
7/24/2010
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