Didn’t really get to take a lot of pictures this past wkend. Been tired & getting sore throat on & off being part of the prep team for this past whole wk (always happens during major congresses & events, though we definitely learned & improved a lot from previous ones we hosted 👍🏽). So for this batch of pics, I am only including photos that I took (or were taken) from my phone (other pics where I was tagged to follow, LOL). But seriously, it’s always inspiring to be in a space w/ hundreds of people you are united w/ in building a better world for migrants, workers & other oppressed sectors in society & advancing national democracy in the motherland. It is even more inspiring to have workers take the lead & Filipino migrant workers forming their own alliance across the belly of the beast — definitely honored & humbled to be part of making this history! Also thrilled to have a selfie & a pic (10 yrs later when we first met @ Int’l Migrants Alliance or IMA founding congress in Hong Kong in 2008) with Ka Elmer “Bong” Labog, chairperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno, the biggest independent & democratic labor center in the Philippines promoting genuine, militant & anti-imperialist trade unionism & which currently has 115K members across the country — wearing the shirt I designed (LOL, not gonna deny that! Starstruck lang ang peg. Char. 😂) Also agitated to be part of the 300-member contingent @ Grand Central protesting US-led war & militarism — from Iraq, Palestine to the Philippines & all over the world — & proceeded to march to the Philippine Consulate to protest US-Duterte’s fascism. Lastly, the weekend ended w/ truth & justice on our side as I received messages from kasamas that former Major General Jovito Palparan had been finally convicted of kidnapping a dear friend, Karen Empeño, & another student leader-activist, Sherlyn Cadapan, 12 yrs ago. They are still missing up to this day, but this dev’t just proves that there is hope amidst dark times, however protracted it may be. And all these — what these photos represent — are reasons why we continue to fight. Tuloy na tuloy ang laban! Hanggang sa tagumpay! ✊🏽♥️🔥 #MigranteUSAFoundingCongress #BAYANUSA6thCongress
So I haven’t really posted about this but since the materials are out and it’s the Migrante USA Founding Congress in a few hours, I guess I can talk about it now. LOL. I haven’t really designed anything IN YEARS! So this was really very challenging — without photoshop or illustrator or any design program in the computer, and using only online editing programs with very limited tools, and powerpoint (yes, powerpoint!) and with help from kasamas letting me use their photoshop, or video chatting so I can guide them in navigating how to use photoshop. 😂 But it’s finally here! After 2 months of the design process — from sketch to ink to shirt design to back and forth with the “clients”. LOL. Humbled to have designed these materials for the founding congress of the first Filipino migrant workers’ alliance in the US with 16 member organizations (8 full-fledged chapters and another 8 chapter organizing committees and growing) across the United States! Mabuhay ang migranteng manggagawang Pilipino! Mabuhay, Migrante USA! MIGRANTE NG BAYAN, NGAYON AY LUMALABAN! URING MANGGAGAWA, HUKBONG MAPAGPALAYA! ✊🏽🔥♥️
