“This year, IBON highlights twelve points for nationalist and progressive economics. These counterpose the neoliberal economic policy-making that worsen poverty and inequality in the Philippines. Neoliberal  economics results in joblessness, job insecurity, decrepit social services, and foreign plunder of our natural resources.

“These twelve points are drawn from the People’s Agenda for Change. The comprehensive agenda for social, economic and political reforms fleshes out a program for nationalist and progressive change based on the Filipino people’s daily and historical plight. Hundreds of people’s organizations and their allies crafted this through nationwide regional and sectoral consultations. The concrete short- and long-term proposals cover five areas: Economic Agenda; Progressive and Pro-people Social Policy; National Sovereignty and Foreign Policy; Peace and Human Rights; and Governance and Fighting Corruption.

“The People’s Agenda was launched in a National People’s Summit with over a thousand attending from people’s organizations and supporters. The Duterte government can be guided by the agenda and replace destructive free market economic policies with new genuinely people-centered policies that deliver progress for the people and the nation.”