​Multi-sectoral Friendship Association Asks Philippine Government to Vote against Blockade against Cuba
 
“The United States, by applying a severe and prolonged system of unilateral sanctions against Cuba that amounts to a commercial, financial and economic blockade, is very unjust and is obstructing the development of the Cuban economy and preventing the people from fully enjoying all human right,” goes the opening of statement of PhilCuba.
Members of the Philippines-Cuba Cultural and Friendship Association (PhilCuba) gathered to day at the entrance of Palma Hall of the University of the Philippines to register their position on the issue of the 56 years of embargo, which to Cuba amounts to a monstrous commercial, financial and economic blockade against Cuba.
Carrying placards and some wearing baller wrist bands with the call “Unblock Cuba,” PhilCuba members timed their gathering on the eve of the voting in the UN General Assembly on a Cuba-drafted resolution urging the United States to lift its 56-year-old blockade.
“We are glad the Philippine government voted against the blockade several times now.  But we would like to appeal for it to continue to stand against US’s policies and actions that run contrary to its avowed aim: To help the Cuban people achieve freedom and a better life.”  Ms. Gina de la Cruz of PhilCuba said.
“We denounce the blockade because it is against human rights.  It is even an act of genocide against the Cuban people and we should be concerned, she added.”
The Cuban government has been presenting to the UN General Assembly (UNGA)a draft resolution urging the US to end its embargo against Cuba every year since 1992. It first won majority vote in 1993 and overwhelming votes since 1994.  In 2016, the US and Israel abstained from voting on the resolution and in 2017, these two countries were the only ones that voted against the lifting of the embargo.
PhilCuba is an agglomeration of educators; writers; workers’, women’s and youth organizations; NGO workers; health enthusiasts; businesspersons, etc., who want to promote understanding and friendship and cultural, scientific and educational exchanges with the Cuban people for world peace and peoples’ development. Together with the Philippines Cuba Friendship Society, it hosted the Eighth Asia Pacific Regional Conference of Solidarity with Cuba in April 1917.

The Philippines Should Vote to Lift the US Blockade against Cuba
​The United States, by applying a severe and prolonged system of unilateral sanctions against Cuba that amounts to a commercial, financial and economic blockade, is very unjust and is obstructing the development of the Cuban economy and preventing the people from fully enjoying all human rights.
As the UN General Assembly will again be voting on the resolution asking the US to lift its monstrous blockade against Cuba, the Philippines-Cuba Cultural and Friendship Association (PhilCuba), an agglomeration of educators; writers; workers’, women’s and youth organizations; NGO workers; health enthusiasts; businesspersons, etc., asks the government of the Philippines to deliver a strong vote in support of the resolution and stress our country’s opposition to US’s hegemonic use of sanctions.
For 56 years now, the US has been imposing this extraterritorial blockade on the pretext that the Cuban government is authoritarian, that it has failed the Cuban people and that it has been violating the Cuban people’s rights.  This is a blatant lie.  The Cuban government has proved to be very responsive not only to the needs and demands of its own people but also to the needs of peoples of other countries in dire situations.  
Despite its financial difficulty that the blockade exacerbated, Cuba gives primacy to the health and education of its people.  It spends for the education, including food and uniforms of all children of schooling age.   It has developed a very strong force of medical and health professionals, one of the main reasons behind the very low infant and maternal mortality rate and a life expectancy rate of the same level as that of developed countries.  It has developed some of the potent vaccines and other medicines that people of other countries also want to access.
Cuba’s developments in the field of medicine, health care and training of doctors have benefited a big number of countries.  It provides more medical and health personnel to the developing world than all G8 countries combined.  Together with Venezuela, Cuba is training the biggest number of doctors not only for its own needs but also for countries in the Caribbean, in South America, Africa and the Pacific.  It has been sending doctors and other workers to help people during disasters in Honduras, Guatemala, Haiti, Banda Ache, Sri Lanka. Pakistan, the Caribbean and West Africa.
Cuba has much to share to the world as it needs to access from other countries things that their plants, laboratories and farms cannot produce. 
PhilCuba members, as co-host of the Eighth Asia Pacific Conference of Solidarity with Cuba in April 2017 learned, that the blockade denies Cuban cancer patients access to a very important drug used for chemotherapy.  Cuba’s inquiry towards purchasing a robotic surgical system is not answered.  Cuba has to buy from distant sources to procure high-tech equipment, cardiac valves, other devices. The blockade has limited Cuba’s access to scientific information and computer tools.  It reduced academic exchanges.  
These are but a few of the many things deprived of the Cuban people.  Peoples of many countries, especially developing ones are also denied Cuba’s advances in biopharmaceutical research, and its help in putting in place real universal health care systems.
Thus, PhilCuba believes: the blockade an irrational policy.  It is inhuman. The blockade should be lifted! 

The Philippines Should Vote to Lift the US Blockade against Cuba
​
The United States, by applying a severe and prolonged system of unilateral sanctions against Cuba that amounts to a commercial, financial and economic blockade, is very unjust and is obstructing the development of the Cuban economy and preventing the people from fully enjoying all human rights.
As the UN General Assembly will again be voting on the resolution asking the US to lift its monstrous blockade against Cuba, the Philippines-Cuba Cultural and Friendship Association (PhilCuba), an agglomeration of educators; writers; workers’, women’s and youth organizations; NGO workers; health enthusiasts; businesspersons, etc., asks the government of the Philippines to deliver a strong vote in support of the resolution and stress our country’s opposition to US’s hegemonic use of sanctions.
For 56 years now, the US has been imposing this extraterritorial blockade on the pretext that the Cuban government is authoritarian, that it has failed the Cuban people and that it has been violating the Cuban people’s rights.  This is a blatant lie.  The Cuban government has proved to be very responsive not only to the needs and demands of its own people but also to the needs of peoples of other countries in dire situations.  
Despite its financial difficulty that the blockade exacerbated, Cuba gives primacy to the health and education of its people.  It spends for the education, including food and uniforms of all children of schooling age.   It has developed a very strong force of medical and health professionals, one of the main reasons behind the very low infant and maternal mortality rate and a life expectancy rate of the same level as that of developed countries.  It has developed some of the potent vaccines and other medicines that people of other countries also want to access.
Cuba’s developments in the field of medicine, health care and training of doctors have benefited a big number of countries.  It provides more medical and health personnel to the developing world than all G8 countries combined.  Together with Venezuela, Cuba is training the biggest number of doctors not only for its own needs but also for countries in the Caribbean, in South America, Africa and the Pacific.  It has been sending doctors and other workers to help people during disasters in Honduras, Guatemala, Haiti, Banda Ache, Sri Lanka. Pakistan, the Caribbean and West Africa.
Cuba has much to share to the world as it needs to access from other countries things that their plants, laboratories and farms cannot produce. 
PhilCuba members, as co-host of the Eighth Asia Pacific Conference of Solidarity with Cuba in April 2017 learned, that the blockade denies Cuban cancer patients access to a very important drug used for chemotherapy.  Cuba’s inquiry towards purchasing a robotic surgical system is not answered.  Cuba has to buy from distant sources to procure high-tech equipment, cardiac valves, other devices. The blockade has limited Cuba’s access to scientific information and computer tools.  It reduced academic exchanges.   

We Salute the Venezuelan People!
 
Two hundred and seven years after the Venezuelan Declaration of Independence from the Spanish crown, the Venezuelan people are again in the thick of struggle for independence, this time against imperialist sabotage and interference. Support of peoples around the globe for this arduous struggle is of great importance.
As members of the Philippines-Cuba Cultural and Friendship Association (PhilCuba) join the Venezuelan people in commemorating its Independence Day, we would like to convey our support to the Bolivarian government and people though Her Excellency, Ambassador Capaya Rodriguez Gonzalez. 

We are one with you in your continuing fight to defend the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people, to strengthen democracy and to build a social order that will develop the full potential of the people, provide equal opportunity and security, allow the people to fully benefit from the wise use of the country’s natural resources and the fruits of their labor and to contribute in building a world environment of peace and cooperation.

We are with you in opposing layers of economic sanctions that the US, Canada and some EU countries have imposed against Venezuela.  These are unjust measure that practically build-up as an economic and financial blockade to make Venezuela miserable, weaken the people’s will and attempt to instigate the people to rise up and support a US-designed regime change. 

The sanctions, inciting the military to mutiny and the economic sabotage, like currency looting, physical destruction of public property, massive smuggling and artificial shortages that US intelligence agencies have been directing are clear acts of interference in a sovereign country by another that claims to be the model of democracy in the entire world and noisily accuses other states of interfering in its internal affairs.

We are aware that behind these acts of interference and sabotage against Venezuela is the interest of the US and its big allies in Venezuela’s oil reserves, natural gas deposits, gold and other natural resources and their desire to install a subservient government in order to have unhampered access to these. 

We are likewise aware that this intensifying interference in Venezuela is part and parcel of their attacks against Latin American peoples who assert their right to chart their own future whereas the US wants Latin American countries to remain in their backyard.

PhilCuba joins peoples throughout the world in demanding the US and other western powers to respect the right of Latin American peoples to self-determination. Let the July 5 Declaration of Independence inspire both our people, Venezuelans and Filipinos   in our continuing fight for independence. 

Glory to the brave people of Venezuela!