Hello readers,

I received a request for a letter to an activist in need of inspiration amid a difficult time, and they said it’d be good to publish it, for others who might be in the same boat.

I hope you’re all healthy and well.

,
Meg

—

(English translation below)

Dear K,

Magandang umaga mula rito! Sana’y nasa mabuti kang kalagayan.

Una, maraming-maraming salamat sa pagtahak sa landas na ito, na alam kong mahirap at puno ng sakripisyo. Nitong mga nakaraang taon, hinarap natin ang panganib at tuwirang panggigipit, ngunit mulat mo itong sinasalubong, sa pagpiling manatili, sa bawat sandali.

May dahilan kung bakit kilusang mapagpalaya ang tawag sa atin. Hangad natin ang pagpapalaya ng bayan at ng uri, na isang matagal, malalim, at masalimuot na gawain. Ang totoo’y hindi naman nakakagulat ang tugon ng estado at ng kanilang mga kakamping naghaharing-uri. Gagamit at gagamit sila ng dahas, at ng iba pang paraan upang manatili sa kapangyarihan. At hiling ko’y maalala mong palagi, kapag tila nakalulunod ang mga nangyayari, na sa isang banda ay wala namang bago sa lahat ng ito. Kaya nating sabihing handa tayo, hindi man lagi sa antas ng rekurso, kundi sa tapang at tatag, na magpatuloy.

Hindi maliit na bagay itong tapang at tatag na aking tinutukoy. Kalakip ng ating kapasyahang tanggapin ang posibilidad – at katotohanan – ng gutom, sakit, at kamatayan, sa buhay na ito, ang mga ito ay sandatang hindi matatapatan ng anumang mayroon ang kaaway. Pinatutunayan ng kasaysayan: sapat sila upang patagin kahit ang pinakamatayog na bundok, at pabagsakin ang pinakamatibay na imperyo.

Hindi natin kalilimutang sa totoo lang ay nagsimula naman tayo sa wala. Ilang pirasong mga rebolusyonaryo ang nagpasyang dapat baguhin ang kaayusan, at heto tayo, nakasandig sa kanilang mga sinimulan. Ngayon, mayroon tayong kilusang nakakalat sa buong kapuluan at bitbit ang laban ng sangkatauhan. Binago nila ang buhay ng maraming mamamayan. Binago rin nila ang akin at iyo.

Dahil sa ating samahan, lumaya tayo sa maraming atrasadong kaisipan. Nagkaroon tayo ng kaibang pagkaunawa sa ibig sabihin ng kaligayahan, kapayapaan, at tagumpay. Natutunan nating ang mga ito ay hindi pala inaabot para sa sarili lamang at nang mag-isa, kundi ipinaglalaban para sa lahat at nang sama-sama. Na hindi pala magiging ganap ang ating kasiyahan kung hindi ito dama ng ating kapwa. Na mahalagang nakabatay ang kapayapaan sa panlipunang katarungan. Na ang mga tagumpay na dapat nating inaasam ay malalim at pangmatagalan. Ganito tayo hinubog at patuloy na hinuhubog ng kilusan.

Gaya ng marahil ay alam mo na, hindi magiging madali itong ating pakikibaka. Kaya naman hangad ko para sa iyo ang tapang at tatag, ang di nagmamaliw na lakas, dahil batid nating ito at ito lamang naman ang wastong landas.

K, sana’y lagi kang maging malusog, masaya, panatag, at ligtas. Kasama sa dalahin ng ating buhay ang kaalamang hindi natin matitiyak ang huli para sa isa’t isa. Hindi natin alam kung ang bawat pagkikita ay siya na ring huli. Ngunit ang maipapangako ko, anuman ang mangyari, pinag-uugnay tayo ng ating mga mithiin. At saan man kami dalhin ng pagkilos, ay naroon ka rin.

Muli, maraming-maraming salamat, at mag-iingat ka lagi.

Hanggang sa tagumpay,
Meg

—

Dear K,

Good morning from here, and I hope you’re doing well.

First, thank you so much for choosing this path, that I know to be difficult and filled with sacrifice. These past years. These past years, we were met with many threats and direct attacks, and you faced these head-on, by choosing to stay.

There’s a reason why we are called a liberation movement. We aspire for the freedom of our country and the oppressed class – a long, deep, and complicated task. The truth is that there’s nothing surprising about the response of the state and their cohorts in the ruling class. They will always use violence and other means to stay in power. And I would like for you to always remember, especially when things get overwhelming, that on the one hand these things are not new to us. And we can always say that we are ready, perhaps not always in terms of resources, but in terms of strength and courage to carry on.

It’s no small thing, this strength and courage I speak of. Along with our decisiveness to accept the possibility – and truth – of hunger, illness, and death, in this life, they are weapons that cannot be matched by any of the enemy’s. As world history shows us, these two are enough to bring down the highest mountains and strongest empires.

We will not forget that in fact, we started with nothing. A few revolutionaries decided to change the world order, and here we are, standing on their shoulders. Today, we have a movement spread across the archipelago, and bearing the struggles of humanity. It changed the lives of a million people, and it changed yours and mine too.

Because of our movement, we were freed from many backward ideas. We gained a different understanding of happiness, peace, and success. We learned that these are better attained not just for ourselves and on our own, but for and by all. That our happiness cannot be complete if it’s not felt by the least of us. That peace must be based on social justice. And that the victory we should aim for must be deep and lasting. This is how we are honed and continue to be honed by our movement.

As you know, this struggle will not be easy. That’s why I wish for you courage and grit, because we know all too well: this is the only right path.

K, I hope you’re always healthy, happy, at peace, and safe. Among the burdens of our life as comrades is never being sure of the latter. We never know if each meeting is also the last. But what I can promise is that whatever happens, we are bound by our aspirations. And wherever this path takes us, there you are too.

Again, thank you so much, and take care always.

Until victory,
Meg