Category: News
Don’t insist on low poverty threshold, address jobs crisis, gov’t told
April 17, 2019
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) recently attributed reduced poverty in the first semester of 2018 to the rising quality of jobs under the Duterte administration. But research group IBON said that dismal jobs creation, the magnitude of joblessness, poor quality work, and meager wages give away the true picture of Philippine poverty. The […]
Lower official poverty estimates don’t mean less poor Filipinos — IBON
April 10, 2019
Research group IBON said lower reported official poverty estimates for the first semester of 2018 unfortunately do not necessarily mean that the country’s poverty situation is improving. The group observed that standard of living allowed by the official poverty line is very low and grossly underestimates the real number of poor Filipinos. Unless corrected, it […]
Gov’t designed Kaliwa loan to favor China—IBON
March 26, 2019
The Kaliwa Dam loan agreement is designed to unduly favor Chinese interests over that of the Philippines. IBON Foundation raised this concern in the wake of the release, upon public pressure, of this and other loan agreements. Metro Manila private water concessionaire Manila Water Company, Inc. and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Systems (MWSS) have […]
Govt should be transparent, release 9 signed foreign loan agreements — IBON
March 16, 2019
Research group IBON said the Duterte administration should immediately release to the public all nine foreign loan agreements it has already signed for infrastructure projects, especially for the upcoming Kaliwa Dam project with China. The group raised concerns of government’s transparency since it has denied IBON’s previous requests for copies of the loan agreements. The […]
WPN: Water crisis confirms failure of water privatization
March 16, 2019
Advocacy group Water for the People Network (WPN) said that the ongoing water crisis confirms the failure of water privatization and the need for public control of this essential service. The group said that the disruption of water services for over a million Metro Manila residents amid growing water concessionaire profits is unacceptable. Water services […]
IBON: Duterte govt’s accusations baseless, aim to hide truth about economy
March 14, 2019
The Duterte government’s accusations against IBON are baseless and aim to stifle economic analysis that is inconsistent with its preferred narrative of growth and development. For over forty years, IBON has sought to explain socioeconomic and political issues to the public as our contribution to Philippine democracy and the cause of genuine progress and development. […]
Employment falling under Duterte administration, jobs crisis worsens
March 8, 2019
Research group IBON said that the latest January 2019 labor force survey data showing employment falling confirms that the jobs crisis continues to worsen. The group stressed that the worst job creation today among all the post-Marcos administrations is a better indicator of the economy’s health than the abstract growth figures the Duterte administration always […]
Employers’ resistance to expanded maternity leave hinders progress for women in the workplace
March 6, 2019
Research group IBON said that employers’ opposition to the new Expanded Maternity Leave (EML) Law only protects their profits at the expense of women. The EML is an important step to reducing barriers to women’s participation in the workforce and to improving their welfare in the workplace. It is also partial relief amid flexible hiring […]
Inflation lower but poorest Filipino families still struggle with high prices
March 6, 2019
Families struggling with meager incomes still have to put up with high prices even amid lower inflation posted in February 2019. Research group IBON said that the poor majority of Filipino households are still having difficulty making ends meet with prices remaining high. Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) figures show that headline inflation slowed further to […]
