How communism began in the Philippines

The communist revolutionary movement, now represented by the New People’s Army, is considered one of the longest-lasting Marxist revolutionary movements in the world. There have been several books written about this movement and the revolutionary figures that were prominent in its history. Among them were Jose Maria Sison, Luis Jalandoni and Commander Dante or Bernabe Buscayno.

Another much written episode in the history of revolutionary movements in the Philippines is the story of the Hukbalahap, which dominated the underground movement until it was replaced by the NPA. Among its most known figures were Pedro Abad Santos, Luis Taruc and the Lava brothers.

Surprisingly, very little literature has been written about the story of how the Communist Party started in the Philippines. That’s why the book “Komunista: The Genesis of the Philippine Communist Party from 1902-1935” (Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2011) by Jim Richardson is a welcome addition to this body of works. This book is one of the most meticulously researched studies on the origins of the Philippine communist movement. It sources archival materials, intelligence reports, party documents, letters and rare pamphlets. It reconstructs how Filipino workers, peasants, intellectuals and organizers shaped a radical political tradition from the early 1900s to the founding of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP) in 1930.

The book situates the Philippine Left not as an imported ideology forced onto local conditions but as an evolving political movement rooted in genuine grievances, class contradictions and grass roots activism. In his Introduction, Richardson writes: “In a country where politics has traditionally revolved around personalities, patronage and pork barrel, the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP) founded in 1930 and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) established in 1968 as a Maoist breakaway from the PKP have been the only durable parties to have based their program and appeal on ideological principle.”

One of Richardson’s major contributions is demonstrating that communism in the Philippines emerged organically from the life experiences of the country’s marginalized sector. Far from being a mere ideological transplant from Europe or the Soviet Union, early Philippine communism was forged in the crucible of colonial capitalism, urban labor exploitation and agrarian unrest. The strikes, tenant uprising and early attempts at worker organizing in the early 1900s provided fertile ground for radical ideas.

Richardson writes about the little-known individuals who articulated an early socialist vision and helped build networks that would eventually result into the PKP. In his introduction, Richardson also writes: “Socialist parties and parties of the ultra-Right have come and gone; neither a Trotskyite nor an anarchist party has ever been formed. Despite a near lifetime of illegality and suppression, the PKP has sustained a presence in the Philippine political scene whose importance is beyond dispute.”

One of the most interesting parts of the book is the reconstruction of the socio-political environment of the early American colonial period. This is a narrative not often found in most Philippine history books. The book traces how the introduction of wage labor, industrial work places and new forms of capitalist discipline in Manila and other urban centers led to the emergence of the first trade unions. These early unions, such as the Congreso Obrero de Filipinas, became platforms for worker education, political consciousness and agitation.

This book gives special attention to the personage of Crisanto Evangelista whose role as labor leader, theorist and organizer proved critical to the founding of the communist movement of the Philippines. Evangelista’s encounters with Asian and international labor federations, his collaboration with foreign communists and his leadership in developing distinctly Filipino socialist ideas are presented in rich detail.

Richardson emphasizes that Evangelista was not simply a follower of international directives but an active interpreter of Marxism within Philippine realities. Under Evangelista’s leadership, the labor movement grew increasingly militant and the foundation for the PKP was solidified.

The book documents the debates, alliances and disputes that shaped the early communist movement. It also highlights the political pressure exerted by the American colonial authorities, who viewed labor mobilization as a threat to public order and capitalism. According to the book, surveillance reports, arrests and legislative restrictions attempted to eradicate left wing organizing. However, all these attempts only hardened the movement’s resolve.

Richardson also writes in his Introduction: “Despite a near lifetime of illegality and suppression, the PKP has sustained a presence in the Philippine political scene, whose importance is beyond dispute…. The period reviewed in most detail in these pages commences in 1922 when the Partido Obrero, the forerunner of the PKP, was first launched, and ends in mid 1935 when the initial ultra-Leftist phase of the PKP history drew to a close.”

The book is essential reading, especially for those interested in the history of the Philippine Left, labor movements, anti-colonial struggles and the formation of political ideology. It challenges the simplistic narratives that portray communism as foreign or illegitimate, instead portrays a movement deeply embedded in the aspirations of Filipino workers and peasants.

Richardson’s work reminds us that the struggle for social justice did not begin with the PKP’s founding. It was part of a long story of resistance against exploitation and inequality.