Features
Pork Barrel and Systemic Corruption (Second of Two Parts)
October 25, 2013
IBON Features | COMMENTARY | By Sonny Africa | These funds need to be removed from the discretion of the chief executive – whose powers over budgets must also be reduced – and subjected to greater public oversight. (Second of Two Parts) Pork barrel abuses The PDAF accounts for just 2.2% of presidential pork barrel. […]
Pork Barrel and Systemic Corruption (First of Two Parts)
October 24, 2013
IBON Features/ COMMENTARY | by Sonny Africa | The PDAF is actually just a small part of the vast government mechanism of patronage and pork barrel politics centred around the presidency. (First of Two Parts) The Napoles pork barrel scam is a sensational corruption scandal involving billions of pesos, prominent senators and representatives of congress, […]
The Politician Versus the Collective (A critique of the pork barrel system in the Philippines)
October 1, 2013
IBON Features | COMMENTARY | by Edberto M. Villegas | The collectivism of the Katipunan has been drowned out by the noise and hurly-burly of self-centered modern living and the pursuit of unbridled political ambitions by some, which have wrought havoc among our (Second of two parts) Participative democracy: substitute to the pork barrel system […]
The Politician Versus the Collective (A critique of the pork barrel system in the Philippines)
September 30, 2013
IBON Features | COMMENTARY | By Edberto M. Villegas, PhD | It has been a long way since from the culture of the Katipunan to the present pork barrel system in the Philippines,a legacy of colonial US to the country to make its political protégées follow its bidding (First of two parts) The controversy regarding […]
MWSS water rate rollback: Tentative, partial and inadequate
September 19, 2013
IBON Features | COMMENTARY | By Sonny Africa | The MWSS unfortunately basically still operates within the bounds of the defective anti-consumer concession agreements with liberal rate-setting schemes, business-biased dispute settlement, and weak regulation The MWSS decision is welcome in being the first rollback since privatization in 1997. If implemented, it should give consumers some […]
Water arbitration: Lower bills still uncertain
September 18, 2013
IBON Features | By design, MWSS privatization was meant to protect the interests of the private investors, making effective regulation practically impossible IBON Features— Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Co. Inc. have expressed that they are disputing through arbitration the decision of regulators to reduce water rates in the next five years. What […]
One nation, two worlds: The myth of ‘inclusive growth’
July 21, 2013
IBON FEATURES | By Sonny Africa | The Aquino administration’s policies are no different from those that have been increasingly implemented over the last three decades and that have resulted in today’s grossly distorted and unequal economy IBON Features—The Aquino administration has been in power since mid-2010 and the last three years gives undeniable evidence […]
New Congress, renewed push for Cha-cha
June 15, 2013
IBON Features | Cha-cha to remove the nationalist economic provisions will reinforce the worst aspects of Philippine economic policy-making and drastically reduce the country’s policy space for real progress IBON Features— The renewed initiative for Charter Change (Cha-cha) following the midterm elections where Team PNoy candidates and allies dominated over Congress was expected. Several lawmakers, […]
Metro Manila experience: Poor water service, unjustified rate hike petition
June 14, 2013
IBON Features | “In the allocation of water resources, there should be preferential treatment and affirmtive action for the poor and marginalized sectors.” – The Filipino People’s Water Code IBON Features—The petitioned water rate hike by Metro Manila water companies is still being reviewed but 42-year-old Malou Lopez is almost certain that the price of […]
