Features
Decade of 7% PH Growth: It’s Just A Fantasy
October 18, 2018
By Sonny Africa In a speech before leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Bali, Indonesia, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte said that the country is on an “upward trajectory of growth”. He was echoing the country’s economic managers who were recently touting a recovery of Philippine economic growth to the 7-8% target next […]
4th Industrial Revolution: Change is coming?
September 25, 2018
by Sonny Africa Constant technological progress invariably showcases the huge creative potential of people and the immense possibilities to build a society without poverty. We all aspire to a society that continuously improves everyone’s well-being and that is within the planet’s ecological capacity. Outside of abhorrent weapons technology, new technology is always exciting for its […]
PH Economy Duterteriorating
August 29, 2018
IBON FEATURES – Stay the course, the country’s economic managers always insist. They will be the last to admit bad economic news because eternal sunshine is part of their job. Their recent spontaneous reactions against federalism are however more revealing. They are losing control of the economy as it is and they know the ill-conceived […]
Why rice tariffication does not guarantee lower rice prices
August 25, 2018
Accelerating inflation is becoming worrisome for tens of millions of low-income Filipino families. Since the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) kicked off early this year, the prices of goods and services have climbed incessantly. Rice inflation itself accelerated from just 1.5% in the beginning of 2018 to a 5% high in July. Inflation […]
TRAIN-2: The Sequel Makes Things Worse
August 13, 2018
by Sonny Africa (Updated September 10, 11:57pm) The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Package 2 (TRAIN-2) recently approved by the House of Representatives (HOR) on third and final reading with 187 voting in its favor, 14 against, and 3 abstentions, increases corporate profits at the expense of Filipinos. TRAIN-2 was renamed Tax Reform for […]
Duterte aggravates the Filipino people’s woes
July 4, 2018
The Duterte administration’s second full year in office sees the people’s condition worsening and the need for genuine reforms even more urgent. The government is however digging in its heels and pushing more harmful neoliberal measures that aggravate the people’s plight instead of implementing policies that overcome economic backwardness. Filipinos struggle to cope with fast […]
Raising the bar: Demanding a decent minimum wage
June 22, 2018
Before being retrenched for protesting condiments manufacturer NutriAsia for its various labor rights violations, Alvin Lascano, a machine operator, used to receive Central Luzon’s (Region III) minimum wage of Php380.00. According to the government, wages in the country have to vary because of varying costs of living in the different regions. “Pero hindi naman nagkakalayo […]
First quarter of TRAIN: A preview of the worse to come for the poor
April 20, 2018
Nanay Inday joins the many ordinary folk in bearing the brunt of price hikes upon the January 2018 implementation of the first package of the Duterte administration’s Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN). A resident of the urban poor community in San Roque North Triangle, she laments that there are no longer Php5.00 bundles […]
What You Need to Know About Charter Change and its Possible Effects on the Education Sector
April 4, 2018
By Jose Lorenzo Lim (In a series of articles, IBON tackles proposals to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution*, focusing on social and economic provisions. These touch on agrarian reform for industrialization, and full foreign ownership and control of Philippine lands and natural resources including agricultural lands, public utilities, labor rights, educational institutions and mass media. […]
