Social and Economic Reforms

A challenge to reverse power privatization

June 16, 2017

In 2001, the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) was enacted with the promise of delivering affordable and reliable electricity to the country. Sixteen years later, electricity remains expensive and unreliable, and electric power industry monopoly has intensified, further enriching big firms. The following points elaborate on why the Duterte administration should all the more […]

Economy loses jobs despite reported growth

June 12, 2017

The recently released labor force survey figures indicate an alarming intensification of the domestic jobs crisis with the economy losing jobs despite reported economic growth, said research group IBON. Reported unemployment and underemployment in the country fell, but so did employment and the size of the labor force – all of which indicate growing distortions […]

PDP 2017-2022: Unchanged Market Fundamentalism (Second of Two Parts)

June 9, 2017

by Sonny Africa The Duterte administration’s public launch of its PDP 2017-2022 on June 2 somewhat coincidentally happened the day after the supposed June 1 end of the fifth round of peace talks between the Philippine government’s peace talks and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). The cancellation of talks by the government […]

PDP 2017-2022: Unchanged Market Fundamentalism (First of Two Parts)

June 6, 2017

by Sonny Africa The Duterte administration’s public launch of its PDP 2017-2022 on June 2 somewhat coincidentally happened the day after the supposed June 1 end of the fifth round of peace talks between the Philippine government’s peace talks and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). The cancellation of talks by the government […]

The Shin Sun workers – a test case for DO 174

May 27, 2017

IBON Features – The Korean-owned Shin Sun Tropical Fruit Corp. in Brgy. San Miguel, Compostella Valley has approximately 287 agency-hired banana workers employed under ECQ Serve Human Resources for different jobs such as harvesting, fruit care, plantation, and delivering services. Most of the workers had been working for the company for two to seven years […]

#CASERGoals: Campaign to promote reforms vital to peace, development launched

May 22, 2017

​To promote deeper public discussion and greater awareness on needed policy reforms for genuine development and peace in the country, IBON launched its #CASERGoals campaign today. #CASERGoals is IBON’s attempt to involve and educate the public on these key reforms as the Duterte administration and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) hammer out […]

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 […]

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 […]