Advocacies

Rejecting US ‘aid’ even better–IBON

May 18, 2017

Research group IBON said that the spirit of the Duterte administration’s rejection of official development aid (ODA) from the European Union (EU) for being used to intervene in the Philippines’ internal affairs is welcome. There is however a much clearer and stronger basis to reject ‘aid’ from the United States (US), which has used its […]

Media Forum — #CASERGoals: National Development, Social Justice, and Peace

May 18, 2017

The fifth round of peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Phililppines (NDFP) is drawing near. As a socio-economic research institution, IBON observes the historic peace talks under the Duterte administration with interest especially with the start of negotiations on a Comprehensive Agreement […]

Four reasons why RCEP will be detrimental to Filipino farmers

May 16, 2017

​​The fight of Filipino peasants such as the farmworkers of Hacienda Luisita and Lapanday Foods Corporation for land, food, and justice, stands to be further undermined once the Philippine government fully accedes to the China-backed mega Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).   While the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was seemingly put […]

RCEP is Undemocratic and Anti-Development

May 11, 2017

IBON Foundation Statement for the Stakeholders’ Meeting of the Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC)18th Round of Negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Manila, May 10, 2017 Our countries should not be prevented from implementing real development policies. After over three decades of globalization we need to reclaim our economic sovereignty, not erode this even […]

Reject moves to further weaken investment regulation at RCEP talks – IBON

May 10, 2017

Research group IBON urged Philippine negotiators to reject proposals that may further restrict the policy options of the country in regulating foreign trade and investment. IBON made the appeal as it joined other cause-oriented groups in a dialogue today with trade officials from the Philippines and other countries that are negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic […]

Pro-rich, anti-poor tax program passes through House committee –IBON

May 5, 2017

As the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN) which contains the first part of the Department of Finance’s (DOF) proposed Tax Reform Package advances in Congress, research group IBON reiterated that this legislative proposal remains biased for the rich and burdens the poor. With the majority approval of the House of Representatives committee […]

Infographic: Poor quality work persists in the Philippines

May 1, 2017

​ “IBON re-estimates of labor force survey figures amount to over four million unemployed Filipinos with an unemployment rate of over 9% and the officially reported 7.5 million underemployed with an underemployment rate of 18.3% in 2016. This indicates that there are still a considerable 11.5 million who are without work or still looking for […]

Infographic: Employers can afford to pay a Php750 National Minimum Wage (NMW)

April 30, 2017

“… Raising wages – for instance, initially with a Php125 across-the-board increase in the minimum wage and then working towards a Php750 national minimum wage – and ensuring that workers receive this has a wide range of gains. This will improve the welfare of some 10 million families with main income from wages, have spillover […]

Addressing the rampage of land use conversion

April 27, 2017

The land-to-the-tiller clamour mounts. This, amid the recent spate of farmers’ killings and other forms of military attacks against peasant communities nationwide. These human rights violations have escalated even after both panels of the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) have acknowledged in the on-going peace talks the country’s agrarian problem […]