IBON Foundation
The People’s Choice (Excerpts from an Election Voters’ Education Kit)
May 11, 2018
The overwhelming majority of Filipinos suffer chronic poverty and backwardness… Many are hoping that the… elections will be a fresh start and that new leadership will address their plight. Yet the elections can only usher in the needed reforms if the people are able to choose national and local leaders who are genuinely pro-people, patriotic […]
TRAIN-induced price increases are permanent—IBON
May 10, 2018
The inflation spike marks the start of increases driven by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) in the prices of basic goods and services for the next three years, research group IBON said. Further inflationary surges are likely to happen in 2019 and 2020 when the next two rounds of additional taxes on […]
Over a million more underemployed, part-time workers under Duterte
May 1, 2018
The number of Filipino workers relegated to insecure and low-paying jobs have grown under the Duterte administration, said research group IBON. Latest official labor force data shows a higher number of employed under Pres. Duterte. The number of employed increased to 41.8 million in January 2018 from 39.3 million in the same period last year, […]
Global market-focused education wastes potential of Filipino labor — EFD
May 1, 2018
Filipino educators urge the Duterte government and all stakeholders to mark this year’s International Labor Day as a reminder of the importance of workers and human resources in achieving the country’s development, and how this can be guided only through a nationalist and progressive education system. The Educators’Forum for Development (EFD), a voluntary association of […]
Contractualization: A Neoliberal Policy (Excerpt from IBON Facts & Figures)
April 26, 2018
The exploitative practice of labor contracting is a continuing legacy of the country’s feudal and colonial history. It dates back from the cabo system – a labor arrangement that proliferated during Spanish colonialism. Cabos acted as labor negotiators and suppliers to companies and project or contract-based (pakyao) jobs. The system was commonly practiced in small-time […]
Working Filipino’s real wage, purchasing power weakening under Duterte
April 25, 2018
Research group IBON said that accelerating inflation is rapidly eroding the real wage and purchasing power of minimum wage earners in the National Capital Region (NCR). Real wages show the actual value of wages after these are adjusted for inflation. After almost two years in power, the Duterte administration has only raised the minimum wage […]
Php750 national minimum wage a legitimate call (IBON Facts & Figures excerpt)
April 24, 2018
The demand of progressive workers’ federations for the re-installation of a national minimum wage and pegged at Php750, along with the abolition of the regional wage boards, is an immediate, important and doable step towards making economic growth genuinely inclusive and addressing worsening inequality in the country. Based on IBON estimates, raising the average daily […]
Contractualization Prevails (IBON Facts & Figures Excerpt)
April 23, 2018
“Contractualization has violated workers’ rights to organize and collectively bargain for higher wages, economic benefits, social security, better terms of employment, and better work conditions. It has also forced workers into accepting unfair labor practices and violations of their political rights. This points to the urgency of real measures by the government to not merely […]
Charter Change: Renewed blow to sovereignty (IBON Facts & Figures excerpt)
April 22, 2018
The Philippine Congress pushed anew efforts towards amending the 1987 Philippine Constitution… This call for changes in the Charter is the latest among many attempts, seeking to remove the Charter’s nationalist and other progressive economic provisions. Widespread protests and outright resistance from various sectors however deterred legislators from pursuing the changes. Those who are opposed […]
