“Not jobs but death!” — this was the statement of Mimi Doringo from the urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY) regarding the construction of PaxSilica, EDCA sites, and other U.S. military bases in the country.
According to her, around 1,600 hectares of land are expected to be taken for these foreign projects, land that could otherwise be used by farmers and communities to grow food for Filipinos.
She also expressed deep concern that these facilities would consume large amounts of water, potentially leaving Filipinos with shortages in the future.
Despite promises that these projects would provide job opportunities, Doringo warned that policies and agreements such as the Visiting Forces Agreement benefit foreigners rather than the Filipino people.
The group stressed that such projects will not help the nation’s economy but instead bring harm to the land and the livelihood of its citizens.
