‘HINDIPENDENCE DAY’: Iloilo activists mark Independence Day with anti-US protest

By Juliane Judilla

Progressive organizations gathered in front of the University of the Philippines Visayas City Campus in Iloilo City on June 12 to mark the country’s 128th Independence Day, saying the commemoration masks the Philippines’ continued dependence on foreign powers.

Led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Panay and the League of Filipino Students Panay, the groups said the United States continues to wield significant influence over the Philippines’ economic, political, and military affairs, undermining the country’s sovereignty and self-determination.

The protesters criticized what they described as an unequal military and economic relationship between the Philippines and the United States.

Among the issues they opposed were the country’s participation in the Pax Silica initiative, plans to establish an industrial hub within the Luzon Economic Corridor, and the continued presence of American troops through Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites and the annual Balikatan military exercises.

The Luzon Economic Corridor is a trilateral initiative involving the Philippines, the United States, and Japan, while Pax Silica is a U.S.-led technology supply chain initiative that includes plans for a 4,000-acre industrial hub in New Clark City.

EDCA, signed in 2014, allows U.S. forces rotational access to agreed locations within Philippine military bases, which Philippine officials have said remain under the country’s ownership, control, and management.

According to the groups, these policies primarily serve U.S. interests while exploiting the Philippines’ natural resources and the labor of Filipino workers.

“Independence is a sham because the influence of the United States over the country remains overwhelming in politics, economics, and the military,” said former Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel.

“While the people are struggling with hunger, instead of addressing and funding basic social services, the government continues to allocate resources to preparations for war, which the United States itself is instigating,” he added.

The LFS Panay chapter also amplified calls for genuine freedom and national independence, urging Filipinos to act in the nation’s best interests, oppose foreign intervention, and continue the struggle for true national sovereignty.

The Philippines celebrates Independence Day every June 12 to commemorate the country’s declaration of independence from Spain in 1898.

The demonstration formed part of broader Independence Day activities organized by progressive groups, which sought to highlight what they view as continuing challenges to Philippine independence despite more than a century since the country’s declaration of freedom from colonial rule.