IBON Foundation
PUV modernization should not burden drivers, commuters – IBON
December 11, 2017
In a Senate hearing following jeepney drivers and operators’ cancellation of a nationwide transport strike, research group IBON said that public utilities vehicle (PUV) modernization should be socially just. The group pointed out that the Duterte administration should be able afford to undertake jeepney modernization without jeopardizing jeepney drivers’ livelihood and commuters’ access to this […]
Economic rights violations also worsen under Duterte admin
December 10, 2017
IBON Features – Contempt for human rights is fast becoming a Duterte administration trademark. Over 10,000 people, mostly poor, have reportedly been executed in its war against drugs. Extrajudicial killings, harassment and intimidation, illegal arrests and forced evacuation of communities have continued and recently started escalating. The victims include many opposing the government’s anti-people policies. Authoritarianism […]
Commuters’ Forum on Jeepney Modernization
December 10, 2017
(Exact UP Diliman venue to be specified soon) The Duterte administration’s jeepney modernization program threatens to replace some 250,000 old-type jeepneys. The program slated to commence in January 2018 will phase-out old-type jeepneys and replace these with Euro-4, electric, solar or hybrid vehicles. Jeepney operators are being encouraged by government to avail of the […]
TRAIN’s oil, sweet beverage levies to raise prices, worsen poverty
December 7, 2017
The Duterte administration’s tax program, particularly the fuel excise and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) tax, will cause price hikes and aggravate Philippine poverty, research group IBON said. The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) will most likely make the burden heavier for the 22 million officially extremely poor Filipinos and more than 60 million living […]
Four indicators that Duterte’s tax program is anti-poor
December 1, 2017
Lawmakers should rethink Duterte tax program The Senate version of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) bill remains anti-poor despite amendments. Research group IBON said this following senators’ recent approval of their version of the Duterte tax bill on third and final reading. According to the group, the Senate’s efforts to reduce the […]
Drop plan on Chinese telco, IBON urges Duterte
November 30, 2017
Unreliable services including slow internet connection amid high costs will not necessarily be solved by allowing a foreign player in the country’s telecommunication (telecom) industry. Research group IBON made the statement following Malacañang’s announcement last week that the President has invited China to field in its own telecommunication company (telco) to supposedly challenge the duopoly […]
Gov’t assures private profits over MRT commuter welfare
November 29, 2017
The government’s assurance of private profits from day one has led to the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 woes that has put commuter welfare on the line, said research group IBON. The latest series of train breakdowns and mishaps is but the tip of the iceberg and will persist under a privatized light rail system. […]
Peace talks a casualty of the Trump-Duterte meeting?
November 24, 2017
By Arnold Padilla IBON Features – President Rodrigo Duterte’s hosting as chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit and related meetings solidified the sort of foreign policy that his administration will chart throughout its term. It is one that critics have already pointed out as still dependent on the patronage of the […]
A million jobs lost in agri despite Q3 growth – IBON
November 24, 2017
Research group IBON said that the economy may have had fast growth in third quarter 2017, but this was exclusionary considering that there were significant job losses during the same period. The group said that as long as economic growth remains dependent on external and unsustainable factors, this would not translate into the stable, decent […]
