Hong Kong – July 28, 2025 — Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong, led by BAYAN Hong Kong and Macau, held a protest on the eve of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), decrying what they described as continued oppression, broken promises, and worsening economic conditions under the current administration.
Chanting calls for genuine reforms and holding placards denouncing what they call a “puppet and repressive regime,” the demonstrators criticized the Marcos government for failing to deliver on its pledges of economic upliftment and labor rights.
“Each year, we hear the same promises of change and development. But for ordinary Filipinos, nothing has changed,” said a spokesperson for the group. “Wages remain low, contractual labor continues, and OFWs are burdened by more taxes and neglect.”
The group expressed frustration that key issues, such as the call for a national minimum wage of ₱1,200 and the abolition of contractualization, remain unaddressed. They also condemned what they view as the administration’s continued militarization and suppression of dissent, citing the role of agencies such as the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
Protesters described the upcoming SONA as another “publicity event,” where the president is expected to highlight what they believe are exaggerated or misleading accomplishments. “This is not just about promises unmet — it’s about the lived realities of millions of Filipinos,” one protester stated.
OFWs emphasized that while they work tirelessly abroad to support their families, the government continues to implement policies that deepen their struggles. Many called on fellow Filipinos, both at home and overseas, to resist what they labeled as a “fascist and anti-worker administration.”
The demonstration serves as a sharp reminder of the growing discontent among migrant Filipinos, a community whose remittances remain vital to the Philippine economy but who feel increasingly marginalized by government policies.
