Econ slowdown due to failed govt policies, may be sign of worse to come–IBON

November 10, 2018

Research group IBON said that the government should take the economy’s 3rd quarter growth slowdown as showing what needs to be improved in its economic policies instead of being dismissive about it. Its flagship Build, Build, Build will only be a short-term boost to the economy at best and direct measures to strengthen domestic agriculture […]

Be bold enough to implement a meaningful wage hike, gov’t told

November 7, 2018

The new National Capital Region (NCR) minimum wage is still way below the amount that a family needs to cope with continuously rising prices, research group IBON said. The paltry increase reflects government’s refusal to institute a meaningful wage hike despite its urgency and doability. Government should instead have ordered employers to give a substantial […]

Lowest-income households have lost as much as Php6,800 to high inflation

November 6, 2018

The incomes of the country’s poorest households have eroded after ten months of accelerating inflation. Research group IBON estimates that the poorest 60 million Filipinos have suffered income losses of anywhere from Php2,500 to as much as Php6,800 because of worsening inflation since the start of 2018. The inflation rate has increased from 3.4% in […]

Inflation ‘tapering off’? Prices are still high

November 6, 2018

Php18,855 already lost–Jeepney drivers among biggest losers from TRAIN’s oil taxes-IBON

October 31, 2018

Research group IBON said that jeepney drivers and their families have suffered huge income losses from rising pump prices on top of facing rising prices of basic goods and services. The initial and impending fare hikes give immediate relief but only temporarily. Fare hikes only worsen the burden on commuters and the government needs to […]

PH Income Inequality

October 31, 2018

It is not yet a severe economic crisis as such but the accumulation of economic bad news is worrying. It is clear that the fundamentals are unsound and the economy is weakening aside from increasingly vulnerable to a political upheaval or to a renewed global downturn. The majority of Filipinos are poor and gained little […]

PH Wealth Inequality

October 31, 2018

It is not yet a severe economic crisis as such but the accumulation of economic bad news is worrying. It is clear that the fundamentals are unsound and the economy is weakening aside from increasingly vulnerable to a political upheaval or to a renewed global downturn. The majority of Filipinos are poor and gained little […]

Further imperiling Philippine rice

October 29, 2018

The government’s accelerated move to impose rice tariffs and lift quantitative restrictions on rice imports is touted to ease inflation. It comes with a heavy price in the long-term, however, as it puts in peril the livelihood of millions of Filipino rice farmers. Amid runaway inflation triggered by its regressive tax reform program, the Duterte […]

Worker productivity goes to profits, not wages

October 26, 2018

“A large wage hike is also justified by growing worker productivity. Between 2009 and 2017, labor productivity in NCR grew by 35% from Php456,059 per worker to Php614,297. However, that same period, the real value of the mandated minimum wage only increased by 11% and of ADBP by 16%, both measured in real terms at […]