News
Cha-cha ‘fixation’: Lawmakers fail to learn from economy’s experience
September 21, 2011
Changing the charter out of a fixation to attract foreign investment fails to learn lessons from the past and is going to be a step backward for Philippine development The proposal to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution to lessen restrictions for foreign investments shows that lawmakers still insist on an economic strategy that […]
Real regulation solution to high oil prices
September 20, 2011
This demands real government regulation because of the monopolistic nature of the oil industry With the creation of an inter-agency task force to supposedly review oil overpricing, it is expected that the Aquino administration can already start taking steps to control the unreasonably high prices of oil products. According to research group IBON, this demands […]
Oil Deregulation Law review must focus on pricing and profits
September 19, 2011
The review will be more effective if it is a multi-stakeholder process involving not just government agencies but affected sectors and independent experts The review of the oil deregulation law ordered by Malacañang is welcome but should not pre-judge that the problem in the oil industry is only the lack of competition. According to research […]
Local diesel prices rising faster than global crude rates since oil deregulation
August 24, 2011
An analysis of monthly price data since the full deregulation of the oil industry in 1999 shows that local pump prices are rising faster than the global crude prices, according to research group IBON. An analysis of monthly price data since the full deregulation of the oil industry in 1999 shows that local pump prices […]
No comprehensive study to justify Php39.5 billion CCT budget for 2012
August 16, 2011
Huge budget increase is unjustifiable in the absence of conclusive studies about program implementation and impact The Aquino administration still does not have any major studies on the impact of the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program even as it is seeks a Php18.3-billion or 86% increase in the budget for CCTs to Php39.5 billion in […]
Growing poverty in Mexico further shows failure of CCT program
August 8, 2011
The number of poor Mexicans increased by over three million from 48.8 million in 2008 to 52 million in 2010 Philippine Congress should consider how poverty in Mexico is worsening before it approves doubling the budget of the conditional cash transfer (CCT) requested by the Aquino administration for 2012, despite having one of the world’s […]
IBON notes misleading rice data in SONA
July 27, 2011
The data on rice production cited by Pres. Benigno Aquino III in his second SONA are among the faulty facts and figures The state of the nation address (SONA) on Monday reported growth in rice production and increasing rice productivity that did not happen, research group IBON noted. The data on rice production cited by […]
SONA 2011: Little to report, less to look forward to
July 26, 2011
Pres. Aquino’s difficulty to report any meaningful economic accomplishment had led the SONA to resort to half-truths In just its second state of the nation address (SONA), the Aquino presidency has confirmed that it cannot be upfront about the real state of the nation and is unable to take the difficult reform measures needed to […]
SONA 2010 promises vs performance: facts and figures
July 26, 2011
The public deserves better than a selective presentation of facts and figures in the president’s first year, and is hoping to be given a whole picture of the state of the nation. According to research group IBON, Pres. Benigno Aquino III’s first state of the nation address (SONA) in July 2010 was as it is […]
