FORMER lawmaker Liza Maza launched her senatorial campaign today, vowing to fight what she called a “rotten system” that keeps Filipinos in poverty while serving billionaires and foreign interests.
“Kumakalam ang sikmura ng bayan. Hari-harian pa rin ang mga bilyonaryo at dayuhan. The Filipino people don't deserve this. That’s why I’m running for senator ― to protest a rotten system that burdens our people with hunger and poverty while serving the elite and foreign masters,” Maza, president of the Makabayan coalition, said at a campaign event here in Cagayan de Oro City.
Maza and her supporters toured public markets and communities in the city, engaging with vendors and residents to highlight economic hardships.
Maza said her decision to launch her campaign in Mindanao was deliberate, noting that the region is home to some of the country’s poorest provinces.
“In the markets, I heard firsthand the struggles of ordinary people. The poverty here is heartbreaking. This region has the lowest wages and the highest cost of living,” she said.
Data shows that the daily cost of living in some Mindanao regions exceeds P2,000, while the minimum wage is just P361 per day.
About 76% of families in Mindanao classify themselves as poor, and over 30% experience hunger—both the highest rates in the country.
“Mayaman ang Mindanao, mayaman ang bansa. Pero bakit milyon-milyon ang naghihirap habang iilan ang nakikinabang sa yaman? May malalim at malubhang problema at tingin ko, malaking bahagi nito ang kontrol ng mga bilyonaryo at dayuhan sa ating pulitika at ekonomya,” Maza posited.
Maza also criticized the presence of US military forces in the country, particularly in Mindanao.
Under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca), one of nine US military sites in the Philippines is located at Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro. The issue resurfaced last week following the crash of a US spy plane in Maguindanao.
“The presence of American troops in the Philippines is part of US efforts to maintain its dominance and protect its political, military, and economic interests in the region—at the expense of our people’s development,” Maza said adding that this must change if the country wants to have genuine progress and independence.
As one of Makabayan’s 11 senatorial candidates, Maza is pushing for an independent foreign policy that prioritizes national interests over foreign influence.
“An independent foreign policy will complement reforms addressing urgent socioeconomic concerns such as low wages, high living costs, and unemployment,” she said.
Maza and her coalition aim to rally public support for what they call a national democratic program focused on economic justice and sovereignty.
