Philippine economy
Wage hike urgent, and should be substantial, gov’t told
May 31, 2018
Research group IBON said that the government’s recently announced plan to respond to labor’s clamor for an increase in the minimum wage is welcome. IBON underscored that this move is urgent amid rising prices, and added that the hike should be meaningful enough to keep up with accelerating inflation and worsening poverty, said the group. […]
Charter change for development? (Excerpt from IBON Facts & Figures)
May 25, 2018
The latest call for changes in the Philippine Constitution or Charter is the latest among the many attempts, in more than a decade since the 1990s, seeking to remove the Charter’s nationalist and other progressive economic provisions. Widepsread protests and outright resistance from various sectors however deterred legislators from pursuing the changes. Those who are […]
One-fourth of increase: TRAIN aggravates oil price hikes–IBON
May 24, 2018
Government is wrong in downplaying the contribution of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law on recent big-time oil price hikes, research group IBON said. The price of fuel products combined with the TRAIN increased since year-end 2017 to Php10.20 per liter for diesel, Php11.41 for kerosene, and Php15.14 for gasoline this week. […]
Build Marawi
May 22, 2018
Related read: https://www.ibon.org/2017/07/govt-should-rebuild-marawi-at-no-expense-to-the-war-stricken-ibon/ #MarawiRevisited
Poor-quality work increased amid economic growth–IBON
May 16, 2018
First quarter economic growth this year did not translate to better jobs for Filipinos, research group IBON said. This means that despite government claims that the groundwork for reforms has been laid, growth has remained essentially exclusionary, generating jobs that are insecure and low-paying, said the group. Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia recently announced the […]
TRAIN-induced price increases are permanent—IBON
May 10, 2018
The inflation spike marks the start of increases driven by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) in the prices of basic goods and services for the next three years, research group IBON said. Further inflationary surges are likely to happen in 2019 and 2020 when the next two rounds of additional taxes on […]
Over a million more underemployed, part-time workers under Duterte
May 1, 2018
The number of Filipino workers relegated to insecure and low-paying jobs have grown under the Duterte administration, said research group IBON. Latest official labor force data shows a higher number of employed under Pres. Duterte. The number of employed increased to 41.8 million in January 2018 from 39.3 million in the same period last year, […]
Contractualization: A Neoliberal Policy (Excerpt from IBON Facts & Figures)
April 26, 2018
The exploitative practice of labor contracting is a continuing legacy of the country’s feudal and colonial history. It dates back from the cabo system – a labor arrangement that proliferated during Spanish colonialism. Cabos acted as labor negotiators and suppliers to companies and project or contract-based (pakyao) jobs. The system was commonly practiced in small-time […]
Contractualization Prevails (IBON Facts & Figures Excerpt)
April 23, 2018
“Contractualization has violated workers’ rights to organize and collectively bargain for higher wages, economic benefits, social security, better terms of employment, and better work conditions. It has also forced workers into accepting unfair labor practices and violations of their political rights. This points to the urgency of real measures by the government to not merely […]
