IBON Foundation
ASEAN way: Big China-funded water, energy infra to displace more communities
November 20, 2017
Can be more catastrophic than MRT Business projects oblivious to human communities are a trademark of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other globalization platforms, advocacy groups said Monday. Shortly after the conclusion of the 31st ASEAN Summit, indigenous peoples, and water and energy rights advocates slammed China-funded water and energy projects […]
Will amid woes: Dismantling large landholdings, staving off hunger
November 16, 2017
Despite decades of land reform programs, millions of peasants remain landless. Land monopoly persists and continues to expand under various agribusiness venture agreements (AVAs) and other market-oriented land reform schemes such as the stock distribution option (SDO). Farmers and farmworkers who stand their ground demanding land distribution are meanwhile met with violence or intimidation by […]
Large landholdings amid peasant landlessness
November 15, 2017
After a series of failed land reform programs, the large landholdings of the country’s big family names remain. These include plantations of coconut, sugar, banana, pineapple, palm oil, and mango orchards. Their monopoly control extends over the country’s natural resources through mining tenements, forest leases and management agreements, foreshore leases, special economic zones, and tourism […]
US MCC to hurt PH economy more—IBON
November 15, 2017
The Philippines will be more incapable of building and protecting its own industries and economy under another Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant from the United States. Research group IBON said this in light of the recent agreement between US president Donald Trump and Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte to strengthen socio-economic ties in their Association of […]
Rising US, China protectionism: Philippines still on losing end
November 14, 2017
By Audrey De Jesus Free trade agreements (FTAs) are a major agenda item for countries attending the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit. whether at the meeting proper or the sidelines. Contrary to the projection that FTAs promote partnerships for development, however, these FTAs are becoming more and more one-sided. As the world […]
No thanks: US behind Duterte’s anti-poor tax reform
November 13, 2017
At the onset of the much-anticipated first-ever bilateral talks between United States president Donald Trump and President Rodrigo Duterte on Philippine soil, it should be reiterated that the US has a hand in what would be the most anti-poor tax program in the country’s history. The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) exemplifies how […]
Five ASEAN features that show “One Community” is exclusionary
November 12, 2017
By Casey Salamanca On its 50th year, and under Philippine chairmanship, the Association of South East Asian Nations or ASEAN is being hyped to have brought development to its member countries. Themed “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World” for 2017, the convergence of ASEAN’s ten-member countries and its dialogue partners is anticipated to bolster the regional […]
Yolanda rehab tragedy: Bound for a repeat?
November 9, 2017
Four years after Typhoon Yolanda struck the Visayas region, reconstruction and rehabilitation is still not being felt by many of those in disaster-affected communities. This is because the Philippine government’s approach to recovery and rehabilitation and its measurement of success has been based on an erroneous neoliberal framework that prioritizes big business interests over the […]
Eastern Visayas now on fourth year of rehabilitation tragedy–IBON
November 8, 2017
Undelivered outputs, shallow outcomes and increasing vulnerability for typhoon survivors are proving that the Philippine government’s rehabilitation work in Yolanda-stricken areas is a tragedy. IBON said this in a presentation of its assessment of four years of rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery in the typhoon-ravaged Eastern Visayas. On the fourth-year of super typhoon Yolanda, IBON reported […]
