Marcos is not a hero!

On this fifth year of the burial of dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. at the Libingan ng mga Bayani we are reminded of the massive corruption and tyranny that marked his rule. Human rights groups recorded 3,257 cases of extra-judicial killings, 35,000 cases of torture and 70,000 people incarcerated during this dark chapter in our nation’s …

Statement on the 4th Year of ASCENT

February 12 marks the fourth year since the National Consultation on the Campaign in Defense of Socio-Economic Initiatives and Development Workers Under Attack was held at the NCCP Conference Hall in Quezon City. It was attended by NGOs from the different regions who have experienced various forms of harassment, threats, and vilifications from government agencies …

REAL TALK: ASCENT Interviews Sr. Pat Fox on Her Continuing Advocacy for Filipino People’s Concerns in Australia

Australian missionary nun Sr. Patricia “Pat” Fox has been a development worker and human rights champion in the Philippines for 28 years before she was forced to go back to Australia on November 3 of last year. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) failed to renew her visa giving her no choice but to leave the …

It Takes Stories of Injustice to Create Poetry

Political prisoner and development worker Benito Quilloy came up with his first modest collection of poems when he was incarcerated for trumped-up charges in October 2017. Prior to that he thought poetry was an art form for the elite with its own rules and format. He avoided it like the plague. But his friends and …

Who are Development Workers Including Political Prisoners Benito Quilloy and Rita Espinoza?

When ASCENT Convenor and Senior Consultant Benito Quilloy and Project Staff member Rita Espinoza were illegally arrested and imprisoned on October 19, 2017, many people became curious about who development workers are and what is a job that is called development work. Development workers are generally those who are engaged in jobs that are involved …