Where is the respect for farmers and Aytas who will be evicted from their communities because of Pax Silica?

“Appeal denied.” 

This is the response of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) in Malacañang’s recent public statement to “show courtesy” as the Philippines hosts the 49th ASEAN Summit from November 15 to 18. 

“We will hold protests before, during, and after the ASEAN Summit and Trump’s visit,” the group said in a statement. US President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in the Philippines next week. 

In a press briefing on November 10, Malacañang’s Press Officer Claire Castro appealed to the protesters not to schedule rallies during the arrival of the international delegations and “show the genuine hospitality and good character of the Filipino people.” 

“Respect for visitors? How about respect for vendors and urban poor displaced by ‘clearing operations’? Where is the respect for farmers and Aytas who will be evicted from their communities because of Pax Silica?” Bayan asked.

Bayan, together with multi-sectoral groups, launched the 12 days of protest which kicked off on November 4. The group stressed that the Philippine government should not welcome “war criminals and foreign plunderers” like Trump at the expense of the Filipino people’s welfare and their right to protest. 

The Philippine National Police increased the number of personnel to more than 23,000, coming from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Fire Protection, and other concerned agencies.

Human rights group Karapatan described the ASEAN preparations as “over-the-top” and are reminiscent of the huge police deployment during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July.

“And we all know how that played out. Fifty-one protesters were arrested even before the protest program began, with many of those arrested taken merely because they wore black,” said Cristina Palabay, secretary-general of Karapatan. “This is our country, and we have every right to protest, especially when the policies and actions of these very visitors threaten our people’s rights and interests. US President Donald Trump is not merely a guest whose presence demands deference. The US is actively intervening in our country’s affairs, advancing its economic and military interests at the expense of Filipino sovereignty and people’s rights.”

The United States leads the Pax Silica Initiative, which plans to establish a 4,000-acre industrial hub within the Philippines’ Luzon Economic Corridor. Described as the first “AI-native industrial acceleration hub,” the proposed site is being positioned as an economic security zone intended to strengthen shared supply chains for critical minerals, semiconductors, electronics, and other goods.

Read: ‘Pax Silica’ initiative seen as war production, environment destruction

Worsening poverty

Progressive groups also assailed the worsening economic situation amid grand preparations for the 49th ASEAN Summit.

Independent think tank group IBON Foundation said that the current low wages failed to keep up with the country’s inflation — climbing up to 7.8 percent in October from 7.2 percent in September. The group stressed that rising prices of these commodities, along with rice, are affecting poor and low income families.

The unemployment in the country also increased by almost 909,000, according to the data of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), though the IBON Foundation argued that the number could be higher. 

The number of unemployed Filipinos has raised the Philippine unemployment rate to 5.4 percent, making it the highest among its Southeast Asian neighbors based on the latest data in Indonesia (4.8%), Malaysia (2.9%), Vietnam (2.2%), Singapore (2%), and Thailand (0.9%).

The Philippines is also performing the poorest in terms of economic performance, compared to its counterparts in Southeast Asia. It has among the lowest GDP growth in the region at 2.1 percent compared to Brunei (0.02%), Thailand (1.9%), Malaysia (5.3%), Singapore (5.4%), Indonesia (5.5%) and Vietnam (10%).

“The government’s business-as-usual approach is worsening joblessness, eroding incomes and making the cost of living soar for millions of Filipinos,” said IBON Foundation, warning the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the country is rapidly heading towards stagflation. They called on the government to increase spending on agricultural production, support small enterprises, and boost household purchasing power.

Urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) said in a statement that the rising prices of fuel and basic commodities and the temporary displacement of the informal workers affected by the ASEAN Summit are pushing the Filipino families at greater risk.

“Where will the driver get money to buy food for their family? What budget will vendors make if they have no income? What about their children’s school allowance? No matter how much Marcos Jr. tries to cover it up, he cannot hide the glaring poverty in the country,” said Kadamay secretary-general Mimi Doringo.

The transport group Piston will hold a nationwide strike. Farmers and indigenous groups will also organize camp-outs bringing their issues from the countryside to the city for the ASEAN delegates and Trump to hear.  

Karapatan said that they stand in solidarity with the Filipino people “as they courageously assert their legitimate demands in the face of heightened repression.” 

“The people will not be silenced or intimidated into surrendering their rights and sovereignty for the sake of the Marcos regime’s hosting of the ASEAN Summit,” Palabay concluded. (RTS, AMU, DAA)