News
IBON: Psalm rate hike bid anti-consumer, EPIRA to blame
June 30, 2011
The financial bleeding of Napocor continued under EPIRA because the law legitimized the onerous contracts signed by Napocor with the IPPs The petition for another 39-centavo per kilowatt-hour (kWh) hike in power rates through the universal charge is anti-consumer, according to research group IBON. The petition filed this week by the Power Sector Assets and […]
Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016: A Social Contract With Whom?
June 22, 2011
The essential economic thrust is straightforward: stick to the globalization policies implemented over the last decades, deepen and broaden privatization… [wpdm_package id=4209 template=”link-template-default.php”] The Aquino administration adopted the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016 in March this year which the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) formally released to the public on May 30, 2011. The […]
Aquino’s plan upholds discredited development model
June 2, 2011
The PDP gives disproportionate stress on public-private partnerships (PPP) as if, the group said, these will substantially address the country’s underdevelopment troubles The Aquino administration has formally released the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016, but research group IBON says the plan poses serious problems for the economy as it insists on a discredited development model. […]
Slow 1st Quarter Growth Indicates Year-End Target Unlikely To Be Met
May 30, 2011
The government should not merely bank on PPP-driven infrastructure, multi-million cash dole outs, global economic recovery and the supposed “business and consumer” trust in government to achieve meaningful growth. The slow 4.9% growth in the gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter shows how the relatively high growth in 2010 was mainly a rebound […]
Economic sovereignty at risk with looming E.U. free trade deal
May 25, 2011
Filipinos have witnessed their livelihood and social welfare deteriorate from decades of free trade Trade officials will reportedly begin consultations among stakeholders for the proposed bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU), but research group IBON urged government not to abandon the country’s right to implement key development policy in favor of EU […]
P13-wage increase insufficient: Inflation erodes NCR minimum wage to only P235
May 6, 2011
An increase of Php18.50 will merely restore the value of the minimum wage to its real value upon the start of the Aquino administration of Php243.50 The Php13-wage hike proposed by employers is not enough to even restore the real wage to its June 2010 level, said research group IBON, adding that inflation has eroded […]
Big Three’s profits more than combined income of country’s poorest families
May 5, 2011
IBON reiterates its position against the oil deregulation policy because it encourages such wanton profiteering at the expense of Filipino consumers. The profits of the Big Three oil firms are rising as rapidly as the increasing oil prices, with a record of at least Php141.7 billion in profits in the last decade. This is more […]
No more P25/kl rice in the market: Rice price monitoring group urges halt to NFA privatization
May 3, 2011
It also yielded a unity pact by participants, one urgent demand of which is bringing back to the market the Php18.25 per kilo NFA rice and increasing the NFA’s palay procurement by restoring its budget of at least Php8 million Ph Bantay Bigas, a rice price monitoring group comprised of rice industry multistakeholders recently urged […]
Repeal of VAT on oil not bad for economy
April 20, 2011
Repealing the value-added tax (VAT) on oil will actually even spur economic growth while mitigating the effects of oil prices on ordinary Filipinos. Research group IBON disputed claims of some economists that repealing the value-added tax (VAT) on oil will hurt the economy, saying that it will actually even spur economic growth while mitigating the […]
