Protesters gather begin along Commonwealth Ave. to as part of the People’s Sona protest on Monday, July 24. (Photo by Zacarian Sarao)
MANILA, Philippines — Protesters on Monday gathered along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City on Monday, hours before President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. delivers his second State of the Nation Address (Sona).
Around 9:00 a.m., members of progressive groups, including Bayan, Karapatan, Anakbayan, among others, converged along the northbound of Commonwealth Avenue in front of technoHub to take part in the Sona protests, dubbed as the People’s Sona.
The effigies set to be burned before the start of the People’s Sona march. (Photos by Zacarian Sarao)
Protests are also scheduled at the same time in the provinces of Iloilo City, Kalibo, Roxas City, Capiz, Cebu City, Davao City, Naga City, and Baguio City.
Before converging in Commonwealth, several groups launched protests elsewhere, including a “zumba protest” held by a teachers’ group to call for a salary increase, and a United Labor forum on legislated wage increase in Quezon Memorial Circle at around 7:00 a.m.
The said groups are expected to start marching from the office of the Commission on Human Rights to Tandang Sora, Commonwealth Avenue around 11:30 a.m. with leaders of various people’s organizations sharing a united call: “Dagdag na sahod, kabuhayan, at pagkain sa mesa! Itigil ang karahasan! Kapakanan ng masa, hindi Maharlika!”
(Extra wages, livelihood, and food on the table! Stop the violence! The welfare of the masses, not Maharlika!)
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan or Bayan previously anticipated this year’s protests to be bigger than 2022’s.
Over 20,000 law enforcers have been deployed by the National Capital Region Police Office for Marcos’ Sona.
