Maricar is an IBON researcher.

Under the knife: the 2024 health budget
September 8, 2023
FEATURES
The 2024 proposed health budget reflects the Marcos Jr administration’s utter neglect of public health.

One year of BBM: More hype, less help
June 30, 2023
The Marcos Jr administration has profusely hyped its one year of achievements that have supposedly helped the Filipino people amid the economic crisis. But looking back, did the President really achieve that much and help the Filipino people as much as he claims?

“Build, Better, More” for agriculture? Not really
June 16, 2023
FEATURES
The Marcos Jr administration has apparently taken over the reins of the agriculture department at a time of severe food and agriculture crisis, but without much inspiration.

19 years and counting: The story of MRT-7
May 7, 2023
FEATURES
Will the MRT-7 answer our systemic transportation problems? At this stage, the project has so far turned out to be a gateway for corporate elites to gain more profits at the expense of the people’s welfare.

WHO is committed to whom?
April 26, 2023
FEATURES
The World Health Organization is supposed to be the lead global institution for health. But it is too easily influenced by powerful HICs and big private institutions in the programs they implement. The COVID-19 vaccine profits they raked in are just the most recent example of this.

WHO should call the shots, but it hasn’t
May 18, 2022
FEATURES
The 75th World Health Assembly will be the third one under one of the world’s worst pandemics. What exactly will be the agenda when WHO action is stalling?

Chronically ailing PH public health system under Duterte
April 7, 2022
FEATURES
Duterte has not taken significant measures that will strengthen the public health system and make health services accessible and equitable to the Filipino people.

Philippine health recovery not a priority for Duterte administration
September 10, 2020
BY MARICAR PIEDAD
This budget will be crucial for the Philippines to fast track recovery from the worst health and economic crisis in its history because of COVID-19. But it is not at all about health recovery as the Duterte administration hypes.

Beyond capacity and overwhelming incompetence
July 19, 2020
BY MARICAR PIEDAD
The Duterte administration must act now and prevent the health system from collapsing and the Filipino people from succumbing to both the pandemic and poverty.