In a collective call against rampant corruption in the Philippines, thousands of Bicolanos from various sectors—including over a thousand students and administrators from the Naga College Foundation, Inc. (NCF)—loudly marched the main thoroughfares of Naga City on Wednesday, October 1, for the “Trillion Peso March sa Kabikolan: Aldaw nin Pamibi ki Inâ.”
With the theme, “Rumpagon an Korapsyon sa Bilog na Nasyon,” a mass assembly, characterized by fretful outcry and banners that bled denial, mustered from the Ateneo de Naga University (ADNU) Bagumbayan Campus towards the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, where advocacy groups convened for prayers, powerful performances, and messages of solidarity.
In his recorded message, Most Rev. Rex Andrew C. Alarcon, DD, Archbishop of Caceres, called for unity in abolishing “impunity in a society that is no longer just a political crisis, but a culture embedded in the system,“ making it a “moral crisis.”
The Archbishop then called for the promotion of a “culture of accountability and transparency,” emphasizing that it requires togetherness and courage to take “resolute action.”
Furthermore, the peaceful protest and prayer rally concluded with a candle lighting ceremony and a eucharistic celebration.
The Trillion Peso March, a protest that began in Metro Manila on September 21, gathered at the EDSA People Power Monument to denounce exposed large-scale corruption in government projects nationwide. | via Jeric Nuñez