WHY THE PHILIPPINES
MUST FIGHT THE WTO
FoE Philippines has been actively
involved in the national and global
campaigns by civil society in both North
and South to expose the negative impacts of
the global free trade regime espoused by
the WTO. We joined the FoEI delegation in
Seattle in calling for a halt to a new
round of negotiations and for a review of
the impacts of the agreements made under
the Uruguay Round.
For FoE Philippines, such international
actions have great importance given the
increased policy challenges that civil
society faces in our country. Despite great
public opposition, the Philippine
government is still pushing for changes in
the country's 12-year old constitution and
other laws that will allow foreign
corporations to acquire ownership of land
and natural resources in the country and
will increase deregulation and the
liberalization of key national economic
sectors. These constitutional changes will
allow the implementation of programmes and
policies that link the country's economy
more closely to the global free market. And
all of this takes place at the expense of
local communities and indigenous
peoples.
Indigenous and rural communities in the
Philippines are increasingly marginalized
and hurt by various governmental and
private sector 'development projects'
including large dams, logging, forest
plantations, commercial fish and prawn
farms and the shift from traditional food
crops to export crops. Traditional
agriculture, and the accompanying social
and cultural structures at the community
level, is on the decline. Poverty and
political disempowerment has increased, in
general, as a result of the Philippine
government's push to ensure that the
country becomes WTO-compliant.
In solidarity and partnership with local
communities all over the Philippines, and
in cooperation with our friends and
partners within and outside the FoEI
network, FoE Philippines will continue to
work against the resumption of WTO
negotiations. Civil society must ensure
that the ability of the global and national
political and economic elite to dictate the
way of life for the majority is replaced by
more local, democratic, pluralistic, and
community-based political and economic
structures.
Vice Yu, FoE
Philippines
