Rosario Guzman

Rosb is IBON's executive editor and head of the Research Department. She is also a member of the IBON Board of Trustees.

The world’s converging crises: How did we get here?

October 20, 2022

The world economy is faced with converging crises – high debt levels, food and fuel inflation, weakening currencies, and a climate emergency that makes the planet’s very future uncertain. It’s a perfect storm for everyone, but it is having a disproportionate impact on poor countries and their poor populations.

Of fake democracy and open dictatorship

November 2, 2021

How do we vote then in 2022? We need champions of human rights and social justice, an economy governed by the people for their needs and their prosperity, equality, sovereignty, and freedom from the shackles of neoliberalism and foreign dictates and from the control of the few.

Who is afraid of degrowth?
A Global South economic perspective

October 12, 2021

Environmental scientists, economists, academics and social movements have been talking about “degrowth” as an approach in dealing with the climate crisis. The concept makes perfect sense, but it has provoked doubts and objections, even among well-meaning environmentalists.

Rediscovering our traditional and indigenous knowledge in agriculture

September 15, 2021

To rediscover is such an apt word for our traditional and indigenous knowledge in agriculture – it is there, but we have gone through episodes of collective memory loss. Such loss can be directly traced to the rise of modern capitalism.

ODA for SDGs: Partnerships for whom?

August 5, 2021

Sustainable Development Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) is crucial as it defines the means of implementation and the global partnerships and cooperation that may have to be revitalized to realize the rest of the SDGs. One of the SDG 17 targets pertains to strengthening aid and financial resources, in particular official development assistance commitments. But why is ODA to the Philippines crowding into infrastructure?

What Build Build Build has delivered

July 25, 2021

Nearing the end of the Duterte administration’s term, we don’t seem to be anywhere near the fulfilment of its big infrastructure dream. Build Build Build is supposed to be the centerpiece of what could be a Duterte legacy, but the program’s performance is far from defining a grand exit for the administration.

The ill logic of rice liberalization

June 25, 2021

The economic managers have been using runaway inflation to justify liberalizing rice importation. But government’s obsession with imports liberalization has only worsened the jobs crisis, loss of livelihoods, and farmers’ bankruptcy.

A People’s Green New Deal? A look at PH labor

June 15, 2021

Dr. Max Ajl’s book A People’s Green New Deal presents socialist proposals on addressing climate change that are indeed doable and inspiring. In Chapter 5, he leaves us analytical notes on labor, planning and construction for an eco-socialist future, and industry and manufacturing, among others. These get us thinking about our own context in order to contribute to the operationalization of a people’s Green New Deal.

Mass vaccination PH: Throwing away our shots (Part Two)

April 15, 2021

The Philippines is not expected to be ahead of the vaccine race being a poor, non-industrial and import-dependent country. But despite our underdevelopment, we still deserve better and more efficient government handling of our predicament.