Headline
Poor Filipino families worst hit by rising July 2018 inflation
August 8, 2018
Research group IBON said that faster inflation largely due to rising food prices hits poor households the worst. The group also said that the Duterte administration’s proposal to increase food imports is short-sighted, and that the best defense against rising food prices and high inflation is to increase domestic food supply through long-term solutions that […]
Poorest 60M Filipinos suffer income loss due to first 6 months inflation in 2018
August 7, 2018
Lowest-income households lost as much as Php2,700 since start of 2018 Accelerating inflation since the start of the year has eroded the incomes of the country’s poorest families. Research group IBON estimates that the poorest 60 million Filipinos have suffered income losses of anywhere from Php993 to as much as Php2,715 because of worsening inflation […]
Meat and fish tariffs, a temporary fix
August 7, 2018
Ultimately, agricultural imports could worsen the situation by displacing local producers and increasing our import bill.
Rice tariffication to impoverish Filipino farmers more, Congress warned
August 4, 2018
Research group IBON raised concern over the current move by the House of Representatives (HOR) to lift the quantitative restrictions (QR) on rice imports and instead apply a 35% tariff on unlimited rice importation. This will practically decrease farmgate prices, said IBON, but not necessarily lower retail rice prices as government claims. Rice prices have […]
Group refutes government’s defense of TRAIN
July 23, 2018
In a consumer forum held in anticipation of the third State of the Nation Address, research group IBON debunked the Duterte administration’s avid defense of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law. The group said that contrary to government’s pronouncements, the tax program is not beneficial to the poor majority of Filipinos and […]
Wage hikes need not cause higher prices — IBON
July 20, 2018
Research group IBON said that substantially raising the minimum wage of Filipino workers need not lead to price hikes, contrary to the recent claims of National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Ernesto Pernia. IBON said that wage hikes should be taken from profits instead of being considered a cost of production passed on to […]
Debt-driven growth an increasing burden–IBON
July 20, 2018
Nearing the third State of the Nation address, research group IBON said that debt-driven growth under the Duterte administration is not resulting in substantial improvements in the Philippine economy. According to the group, while ballooning debt accelerated government spending and pushed the 6.8% economic growth during the past year, the agriculture and industry sectors, which […]
Govt’s TRAIN to blame for highest inflation in nearly 10 years — IBON
July 5, 2018
Research group IBON said that the government’s insistence on higher taxes especially on the poor is among the factors driving inflation rates to their highest in nearly a decade. The group said that runaway inflation is due to the peso depreciation and rising global oil prices combined with the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion […]
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 […]
