BAGUIO CITY — On International Working Women’s Day (IWWD), women from all over the Cordilleras unite in Baguio City to challenge the “macho-fascist” rule of President Rodrigo Duterte. They are led by Innabuyog and its provincial chapters.

The former President Diosdado Macapagal on May 12, 1962, declared June 12 a Philippine public holiday, to commemorate the “people’s declaration of their inherent and inalienable right to freedom and independence,” and in 1964 he proclaimed June 12 as the Philippine Independence Day.

BANGUED, Abra — The Kakailian Salakniban Tay Amin a Nagtaudan (Kastan), the Cordillera Peoples Alliance chapter in the Province of Abra, calls on President Rodrigo Duterte to retain the Value-Added Tax exemption for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — The municipal council of Kapangan, Benguet passed an ordinance on the implementation of forced evacuation as a “last resort” during disasters while penalizing violators.

Change is coming. That change however will hardly happen for rural women and other main food producers - the peasants, indigenous peoples and fisherfolk, if land grabbing that is perpetrated by the state and corporations is not decisively stopped.

BONTOC, Mountain Province — The Philippine Red Cross-Mountain Province Chapter, through its OIC Administrator Veronica T. Tactay, and the Local Government Unit of Paracelis, Mountain Province, through its Mayor Avelino C. Amangyen, entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the implementation of School-Based Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (Wash) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Program.

BAGUIO CITY — In an interview with Vicente Dilem, Kilusang Mayo Uno (May Day Movement) Cordillera Spokesperson said they are marking Labor day, on May 1, 2016, with the call for a nationwide, across-the-board increase of the minimum wage to P750. He said that the different regional minimum wages in the country are not enough to sustain the needs of the average family of five.

QUEZON CITY — Makabayan senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares said that the proposed bonuses for the Social Security System (SSS) board as immoral and unjust.

SANTIAGO CITY – Kinalampag muli ng mga senior citizens ang pamahalaang Aquino para ipagkaloob na ang hinihiling na dagdag sa Social Security System (SSS) Pension na nakapaloob sa panukalang batas ni Rep. Neri Colmenares ng Bayan Muna Party List.

VIGAN CITY — “Our Lolos and Lolas not minding their physical limitations who waited for hours to attend the plenary session of the House of Congress and were only disappointed and outraged when suddenly the presiding officer announced the session adjourned will our inspiration in not giving up their fight,” said Bayan Muna (BM) Party List Representative Carlos Zarate during a forum with members of the Federated Senior Citizens Association of the Province of Ilocos Sur.

BANGUED, Abra — Abra-based group Kakailian Salakniban Tay Amin a Nagtaudan (Kastan CPA-Abra) condemned today the House of Representatives (HOR) and President Benigno Aquino III for deliberately depriving senior citizens the Php2,000 pension increase.

BAGUIO CITY — Youth group Anakbayan Cordillera slams what they believed to be a Malacanang Palace-backed move of the House of Representative leadership to adjourn its session to prevent the possible override of the President’s veto on Social Security System (SSS) pension hike.