Change That Keeps Hope Alive

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Tomorrow, we will be concluding the six years of the Aquino presidency - six years of hard work for many who joined the campaign to reclaim government institutions from the throes of corruption and impunity. Six years of hard work as well for those who stayed outside, in the ranks of civil society, to offer counsel and critique during the toughest times of the outgoing administration. The past six years gave us much hope that with Aquino’s leadership, we would achieve much and more.

Akbayan Youth witnessed how this hope came to life - from the passage of the SK Reform Law which Akbayan Youth has campaigned for almost two decades, to the implementation of Abot-Alam and expansion of the CCT to cover secondary education to ensure that all young people can get access to education opportunities. We saw the passage of the RH bill and the Sin Tax Law that secure the youth from preventable diseases. We were witness to the government that strived to achieve much and more.

In the last few hours under President Aquino, we thank him for his hard work. He was an imperfect man, his was an imperfect administration. But he stood by us, in a time when we could not fully give our trust to our government.

We thank the people who worked in government, the people who put faith and partook in the project of shaping the government we needed.

And as we say goodbye, we welcome to the new administration under President Rodrigo Duterte. We look forward to having a Philippines where Filipinos especially the youth have secure jobs and incomes, a Philippines were we take care of the environment, a Philippines where there is genuine peace, a Philippines where the LGBT and women have their due space and recognition.

But we stand firm as we engage the new leadership, our new president, and the people who will join him in government, and urge them to move towards deepening democracy and respecting human rights.

Akbayan Youth will continue its work to constructively engage the new dispensation, always mindful of the kind of change we want to advance - a change that is founded on social justice, a change that makes us better persons for each other, a change that will make us truly equal and free.