Remembering Miggy: a warm leader, artist, and champion of children’s rights

By DOMINIC GUTOMAN
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – Giovannie Miguel Gonzales, more commonly known as “Miggy” by his peers and the people in the human rights movement, recently passed away this October 11, due to a health complication.

It was a sudden passing. My memory with him was still warm: A week before his death, he personally invited me to join and cover their solidarity activity for the children of Palestine. There, he facilitated a discussion about the situation in Gaza and the interconnected struggle of children from the Philippines to Palestine.

“The struggle of Palestine children and the Filipino children is intertwined, especially in how their rights are being violated. They are denying children the right to education, as schooling has become unaffordable for many of us. Rural communities are being bombed, Indigenous Peoples are being displaced from their ancestral lands, and in urban poor areas, children are being displaced through violent demolitions,” said Miggy in the recent protest.

Miggy was thorough, he always made sure that the children’s sector was being covered well. He once called out media outfits that tried to sensationalize the children’s participation in the protests. He was fierce and his words resounded power, but he also had a gentle presence. As a journalist covering their sector, building rapport with Miggy and understanding the sensitivity of the issues of the children’s movement was always easy.

This coming November, Miggy was supposed to be twenty-four, the same age as mine. Though his life was cut short, his unwavering commitment to fighting for a just society, free from the exploitation of children and marginalized sectors, is a legacy to be celebrated. A life dedicated to the struggle for justice is a life of deep meaning and purpose, one that deserves our highest honor and remembrance.

As a grounded leader, Miggy served as the National Spokesperson of children’s rights group Salinlahi – Alliance for Children’s Concerns. For them, Miggy was a good friend and comrade in struggle.

“Miggy moved hearts and minds with his [agitated] speeches, his educational facilitation, his warm, smiley leadership, and his kind heart. He was a fierce advocate for the rights and welfare of children, as well as the necessity for all advocates and human rights to be defended, particularly within the communities most in need,” said Salinlahi in a statement.

Prior to his involvement in the children’s movement, Miggy began organizing as a member of Panday Sining (PS), chairing the local chapter at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST). There, he organized in the urban poor community of Algeciras, España, and the College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD).

“Despite the privilege of studying at a private university, Miggy chose the humble life of a dedicated organizer. Miggy had a close bond with children, teenagers, the elderly, women, men, and the LGBTQ community, making him well-loved in the community and quickly trusted by the masses he served,” said PS in a statement in Filipino.

They also remember him not only as a progressive artist but a steadfast organizer of the urban poor, braving harassment and intimidation by police elements in the community.

“Miggy’s willingness and readiness to lead, put out statements, or offer a helping hand will not be forgotten. We will remember his creative and artistic talents through the art he has made, his social media prowess with quick statements posted, and the laughter we shared with him through the year of struggle and accomplishments,” said Salinlahi.

Touching so many lives, Miggy was memorialized by his organizations in their shared laughter, his selfless decisions, and significant contributions to the masses, especially for the welfare of the children and the urban poor.

It was a profound loss, but his life was a gift to all who knew him. Miggy knew that his life was not in vain because he knew that there are people who will continue what he started. In his words: “Children are the next generation [salinlahi] who will continue our struggle for justice and freedom.” (RTS, RVO)