Sonny Africa
Sonny Africa is the executive director of IBON Foundation.
Why make the poor pay for COVID-19 response?
May 24, 2020
COMMENTARY
There’s more than enough money for all the COVID-19 response we need – the Duterte administration just has to take the side of the people and stop being so scared of the rich.
Financial strength, development weakness
May 14, 2020
COMMENTARY
In this kind of situation, you don’t obsess about fuel-efficient driving or not red-lining the tachometer or limiting the car’s mileage – you step on the gas. Glorifying ‘financial strength’ is stepping on the brakes.
There’s funding to respond to COVID-19 – the problem is at the top
April 9, 2020
POLICY NOTE
The government can find the funding for COVID-19 response measures needed – on a scale many times over its Php275 billion program – if it genuinely wants to.
Dealing with COVID-19: Just reboot the economy?
March 30, 2020
POLICY NOTE
The coronavirus pandemic and the expansive efforts to address it are new and unprecedented. But they also exposed many old problems that have always been there.
Duterte administration’s bumbling, stumbling COVID-19 response
March 21, 2020
BY SONNY AFRICA
The poorest already have it worst – and we’re not even sure if the virus is really on its way to being contained.
“Just follow” won’t beat COVID-19
March 16, 2020
COMMENTARY
BY SONNY AFRICA
The coronavirus threat is real and it’s critical for the government to respond quickly and decisively. But what if government’s response is muddled and, worse, ill-conceived?
Water You Up To, Mr. President?
December 13, 2019
BY SONNY AFRICA
Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is posturing against oligarchs again. This time, the tough talk is against corporate water giants Manila Water and Maynilad.
Attacks on Civil Society, M&E, and Democracy
November 25, 2019
In governance today and in our M&E ecosystems, our biggest challenge is increasing official hostility to diversity.
Counterproductive Counterinsurgency
November 17, 2019
BY SONNY AFRICA
Development policymaking is hard enough as it is – the Philippines after so many decades of so many development plans is a case in point. Now the military wants to take that over as well?
