Fil-Am activists to hold ‘People’s Sona’ in New York, San Francisco

FILE PHOTO: BAYAN Northeast led a rally in New York in October 2021, displaying a banner with the images of then Presidents Donald Trump and Rodrigo Duterte. BAYAN Northeast will lead the “People’s Sona” on July 21, 2024. (BAYAN Northeast/Facebook)

NEW YORK — On July 21, Filipino American activists and their allies from across the Northeast will gather in front of the Philippine Consulate for the People’s State of the Nation Address, which they described as “a counter-protest against Philippine president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (Sona).”

San Francisco-Bay Area Filipino organizations will also lead a similar protest action on July 22 at 12 p.m. in front of the Philippine Consulate with the theme, “Soberanya, kabuhayan, serbisyo at karapatan – ipaglaban!” (‘Fight for sovereignty, livelihood, services and rights).

Scheduled to speak at the San Francisco rally are prominent community advocates such as Brandon Lee, the first US national targeted in an alleged assassination attempt by the Duterte government, and local activists representing different sectors of the Fil-Am community.

The protest action in New York will be led by BAYAN USA Northeast, Malaya USA New York and their allies outside the Philippine Consulate in New York on Sunday at 11 a.m. (EST)

“Pres. Marcos will give his Sona speech at the heels of a recent nuclear arms deal with the US, and as a strategic player in a tense proxy war with China, putting Filipino people in harm’s way,” said BAYAN Northeast in a press release.

The rally will also highlight ongoing campaigns like the Justice 4 Jollibee Workers campaign, with workers in Wheaton currently fighting for holiday pay, and the Justice for Florida 15 Trafficked Workers Campaign.

Jollibee workers in Wheaton delivered a letter signed by the majority of employees to store management demanding double pay for crew members who work on holidays. The campaign for holiday pay was launched shortly after the Jollibee workers in New Jersey successfully organized to win reinstatement and backpay.

Pres. Marcos will deliver his third Sona on Monday, July 22, 2024, at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City. He is expected to address urgent issues, including food security, foreign policy and sovereignty.

The “People’s Sona” in New York will be livestreamed here.