Thousands of revolutionaries and activists in the Philippines and around the world celebrated the 53rd anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines on 26 December, despite the intensive and brutal offensives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The celebrations took the form of open and clandestine assemblies, face-to-face and online meetings.
In the Philippines, community residents and revolutionary organizations held assemblies in rural villages and mountain camps in the provinces of Cagayan, Ilocos Sur, Mindoro island, Palawan, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Sorsogon, Masbate, Samar island, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Negros island, Iloilo, Capiz, Misamis Oriental, Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Bukidnon, North Cotabato, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.
Members of the New People's Army in the Visayas and some northern Mindanao regions took a break from rebuilding homes and repairing farms to celebrate the Anniversary. They were undertaking rehabilitation work after the devastation of typhoon Odette (Rai) which hit the country in mid-December.
In urban areas and outside the Philippines, activists and Party members celebrated by studying the 22-page message of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines. The international solidarity organization Friends of the Filipino People in Struggle put up posters in Ottawa, Canada in commemoration of the 53rd anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
In its message, the CPP Central Committee called on Philippine revolutionaries to “maintain constant vigilance and the highest alert” in order to “frustrate the brutal counterrevolutionary war.”
The CPP described the current international and national situation as “mired in deep crisis”. The Philippine situation, it said, is “aggravated by corruption, national treachery, failed pandemic response and fascist repression of the US-Duterte regime.”
The CPP declared that the NPA “remains intact despite the unremitting division and battalion-sized tactical operations carried out by the Armed Forces of the Philippines”. Describing the NPA’s work over the past year, it said, “the NPA has successfully conducted campaigns to help uplift the masses from their dire conditions, especially in areas which were hit by pests, torrential rains, typhoon and severe floods. Red fighters are being mobilized to serve as production teams to help in rebuilding farms, planting and harvesting of crops.
“In the face of threats of Covid-19 infections, NPA units together with local mass organizations and health workers, are conducting education campaigns in rural villages about the nature of the pandemic, public health measures to prevent its spread and the use of herbal medicine to help fight its symptoms, and encouraging vaccination in areas where it is available.”a