By LUIS G. JALANDONI
Member, NDFP National Executive Committee
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines firmly expresses it warmest and most militant greetings to the Kabataang Makabayan (KM, Patriotic Youth) in its celebration of 50 years in the national democratic revolutionary struggle of the Filipino people.
The ever-vibrant and youthful KM continues to be among the revolutionary forces in the forefront of the Filipino people’s struggle continuously and unwaveringly waving the red flag of national and social liberation in all its 50 years.
The Filipino people salute KM for its continuing contribution and role in the democratic and mass struggles of the youth and people, firmly upholding its role as vanguards in advancing the revolutionary propaganda and cultural movements, and in swelling the ranks of the New People’s Army (NPA) as peasants organizers, propagandists and warriors.
The KM is one of the founding members of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines alongside the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army in 1973.
But even early on, the role of the KM is already etched permanently in the history of the militant youth and student movement in the Philippines for being in the forefront of the historic First Quarter Storm (FQS) of 1970 and the succeeding mass demonstrations that further explained to the youth and people the three basic problems of Philippine society, which are imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism, and the need for a people’s democratic revolution to change Philippine society.
Since then, KM has continued to play an important role in arousing, organizing and mobilizing the youth and people not only in confronting the commercialized and fascist character of the educational system, but also in exposing and fighting the semicolonial and semifeudal character of Philippine society which has brought oppression, exploitation and misery to a vast number of the people who in the main are mostly youth and students, young workers, the unemployed and migrant youth.
Even during the time of the disorientation in the late1980s and first years of the 1990s that rocked the revolutionary forces, KM was one of the first members of the revolutionary alliance which re-affirmed the people’s democratic revolution, the leadership of the party of the proletariat, and the socialist perspective of the democratic revolution. It was instrumental in propagating and implementing the Second Great Rectification Movement led by the Communist Party of the Philippines to repudiate the errors, clarify the line of protracted people’s war, and win over to the side of the revolution those among the revolutionary forces, allies and the masses who were poisoned by the disorientation.
As a result, the revolutionary movement reinvigorated itself and made further advances. KM contributed much to this revolutionary renewal. In fact, KM was the first NDF member organization to put up an overseas chapter in Europe in 1993 organizing the migrant Filipino youth and helping the revolutionary movement in rebuilding its relations with progressive political parties and organizations in Europe.
We are confident that the KM will persevere in its role as effective revolutionary propagandists and educators for the youth and people. They will deepen their grasp of revolutionary theory and practice. They will continue integrating with the youth and people, learn from them, arouse organize and mobilize them, and inspire them to bring the people’s democratic revolution to the final victory.
Long live the Kabataang Makabayan!
Long live the people’s democratic revolution!
