DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 27, 2012) – Filipino students and various youth groups held a day-long festival in Davao City to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of the so-called “First Quarter Storm” – a period of leftist unrest in the country – which coincided with the celebration of the National Youth Week.
Local Mayor Sarah Duterte also sent out a message during the festival and said: “To the young Filipinos here today, I hope that you will be inspired by the examples of the youth 40 years ago and take action, starting by being responsible students. Don’t stop asking questions and do not be afraid to voice your opinions and share your ideas.”
Organizers said thousands have participated in the festival held Thursday at the Rizal Park.
Krista Melgarejo, of the National Union of Students of the Philippines, said: “The youth must realize that the issues and struggles inside their schools are deeply intertwined with the struggles of other sectors. As future leaders of this society, our social obligation is to serve the people wholeheartedly and we can only achieve this by being one with their struggle. We must not only be students inside the classroom, but a student of the society as well.”
Ronnie Clarion, regional spokesperson of the Kabataan Party list, cited the First Quarter Storm in the 1970s, as a motivation for the youth to continue the struggle for freedom and fight for their rights.
“In the 1970’s, thousands of youth and students took to the streets in order to register their dissent against the fascist Marcos dictatorship and the worsening socio-economic crises. We continue their struggle not only to remember their contributions, but more so
because the crises experienced by the Filipino then have in fact worsened now. Since then, many youth have realized that there’s a need not only to answer issues inside the school, but in the larger society as well,” he said.
The festival theme, “Youth Unite! Heed the Call of our Time, Struggle for Genuine Democracy and Freedom,” described the social obligation of the youth, being the hope of the nation and the one who shall inherit it, organizers said.
“This is a commemoration of the people’s call 40 years ago, and it still holds true today. We must continue to arouse, organize and mobilize as what the youth of the 1970s did in their time,” said Joselito Lagon Jr., head of the local chapter of League of Filipino Students.
Cherry Orendain, regional spokesperson of the youth group called Anakbayan, said it is only through being one with their struggle that the youth can attain genuine democracy, freedom and justice in society. “That’s why the youth is called upon to go out and serve the broad masses,” she said.
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