Duterte gov’t giving up Php667-B in potential COVID response funds to boost corporate profits

May 20, 2020

At a time when funds are urgent for the huge COVID-19 response needed, research group IBON said that the Duterte administration is giving up Php667 billion in revenues to boost the profits of the country’s largest corporations.

PH economy was already slowing – COVID-19 just made it worse

May 7, 2020

NEWS

The Philippine economy was already weak coming into the COVID-19 crisis. Growth will remain slow if the government does not acknowledge pre-existing weaknesses that the pandemic merely intensified.

After 7 weeks of lockdown: Meager cash aid puts HHs below official poverty line

May 5, 2020

NEWS

97% of 11.4 million served beneficiaries are barely surviving the lockdown with cash aid that is way below the official poverty line.

Oil tax hike insensitive and will make poor Filipinos suffer more

May 5, 2020

NEWS

Raising taxes on imported oil products will push prices up and burden many poor households already struggling with jobs and income losses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

POGOs not an essential sector, only 0.23% of gov’t annual tax revenues

May 4, 2020

NEWS

Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) generate minimal income and employment for the country, contrary to government’s claim that it is an essential sector and should be partially reopened.

ECQ disrupts livelihood of 19M:

Millions of working people left behind by poor gov’t response

May 1, 2020

NEWS

The Duterte administration’s poor response is causing widespread suffering and passing the burden of containment onto the poorest and most vulnerable.

Gov’t should deliver cash subsidies it owes 3.8M poor families in GCQ areas

April 30, 2020

The government announced that it will ‘reprioritize’ social amelioration to only the areas retained under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and will ‘discontinue’ in declared general community quarantine (GCQ) areas.

On 7th week of lockdown: 10M worker and informal earner households still waiting for emergency subsidies

April 28, 2020

NEWS

A month-and-a-half into lockdown, millions of workers and informal earners grapple in uncertainty as the government’s social amelioration program and Department of Labor and Employment aid are failing to reach them.

Gov’t Php1.5T COVID-19 response strategy bloated, misleading

April 23, 2020

NEWS

The Duterte administration continues to be misleading about its COVID-19 response strategy. A closer look shows that the government is not actually spending as much as it claims.