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about

I traveled throughout Central Luzon where I integrated with farmer, fisherfolk, and indigenous communities. I learned about their daily and lifelong struggle to protect their ancestral land as the Philippine government attempt to steal their land to serve the interests of foreign militaries (specifically the U.S. military) and foreign corporations.

As the people rely on the land and water for their livelihood, the mass plunder of their land by corporations have threatened their everyday living. Specifically, farmer communities in Zambales are affected by the corporate mining of nickel, which has threatened the crops that they eat, the water they drink, and the income they make. Fisherfolk communities are affected by strict water regulation, in which they are allotted only a small body of water to fish from whereas corporations are allowed to fish more freely in the water. Additionally, farmer and indigenous communities living in Tarlac are resisting the government's efforts to displace them and thousands of other people as part of government plan to build Clark Green City - an urban development that would primarily serve foreign interests.

The Philippines is rich, but do the people of Philippines benefit? No. While the government has employed intimidation and military tactics, the communities stand strong and resist the government's efforts. They are actively organizing to ensure that the land is used to serve the people. They will stop at nothing to protect their community's livelihood and self-dermination.

Their militant spirits are captured in this song. I layered this militant foundation with the haunting of the Philippine military, an extension of the Philippine government and U.S. imperialism. Finally, I incorporated field recordings of indigenous (i.e., Aetas) children laughing and saying "hello" to juxtapose the capitalist greed at the root of this struggle. It also serves to remind who else is at stake or what Philippines is fighting for - a Philippines that is truly sovereign.

credits

from Space and Sounds of Philippines, released October 13, 2016
Music by: Menchie Caliboso
Field Recordings provided by: Christian Guerrero

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M E N CH Long Beach, California

Select solo work of Menchie, producer of Bootleg Orchestra.

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