Features
Elitist politics and economics: the real Aquino legacy
July 1, 2016
The next presidency is challenged to tackle a worst-ever jobs crisis, heightened inequality,and pro-foreign and pro-business policies sown under Aquino’s leadership Towards the end of its six years in office, the Aquino government boasted its legacy of inclusive growth. Indeed for its neoliberal thrusts the Aquino administration may have achieved certain economic outcomes. But for […]
Promote National Industrialization for National Development
June 30, 2016
IBON- NI (for peoples summit), Jun 16 v.2 Tens of millions of Filipinos suffer crushing poverty while a handful of foreign investors and domestic oligarchs prosper from the country’s natural resources and labor power. The situation has worsened after almost four decades of neoliberal globalization policies, including those under the outgoing Aquino administration. A clean […]
Fabella Hospital closure and privatization: Undermining mother and child care
June 9, 2016
In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized a government hospital for being a “role model of the WHO-Western Pacific Regional Office for its essential newborn care programs, which have been proven to reduce infant morbidity and mortality.” Today, June 9, 2016, the Department of Health (DOH) will close the facility supposedly due to the […]
Hindi lumingon–a second look? The economics of the Duterte administration
May 14, 2016
by Sonny Africa IBON FEATURES – Presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte projected a vastly different image from the other presidential candidates and indeed from every national politician the Philippines has ever had: coarse, cussing, irreverent, misogynistic, an unrepentant human rights violator, and a self-proclaimed “Socialist” and “Leftist”. But, never mind, the strongman was effective and got […]
Path not to take: The exclusionary and elitist Daang Matuwid
May 8, 2016
#BeyondElections2016 | The Aquino administration’s long-playing call to sustain its so-called legacy of a fast-growing economy driven by “good governance” resonated in the “ituloy ang Daang Matuwid” electoral campaign. That the elections are just a day away and that the term of Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III is nearing its end are opportune moments to review […]
Anyare? Economic decline since Marcos
May 5, 2016
The Marcos dictatorship started the Philippines on a path of economic decline that remains until today. This has already had the worst consequences for tens of millions of Filipinos across two generations. Unless corrected, it will burden generations to come. The Philippine economy’s decline since the 1980s is commonly attributed to the Marcos regime’s corruption […]
Automated Polls: Privatized elections, foreign-controlled democracy (Part 2)
May 2, 2016
Second of Two Parts By Arnold Padilla Why Smartmatic prevails Why Smartmatic keeps on winning Comelec contracts boggles the mind especially considering the numerous and major malfunctions by the machines and services that Smartmatic provided in the past two elections. To illustrate, while the AES law mandates a 99.995% accuracy rate, Smartmatic’s PCOS machines […]
Automated polls: privatized elections, foreign-controlled democracy (Part 1)
April 28, 2016
First of two parts By Arnold Padilla IBON Features | #BeyondElections2016 | In the Philippines, you know that it is election season again not only when political scandals are at a fever pitch but also when criticisms against the Commission on Election (Comelec) are highly agitated as well. These criticisms – like most politically motivated scandals – […]
Di lumingon: The economics of the next administration
April 26, 2016
By Sonny Africa IBON executive director #BeyondElections2016 | The leading candidates for the presidency project vastly different images: plain but competent technocrat, earnest would-be mother of the nation, beleaguered man of the masses, and of course the coarse yet effective strongman. Filipino voters seem to have a variety of choices in the May 9 […]