Philippine economy
“Change Underway?” IBON 2016 Yearend Birdtalk Paper (Introduction)
January 16, 2017
Pres. Rodrigo Duterte brashly entered the national political scene on the back of widespread public dissatisfaction and with vivid promises of change. The new pro-poor administration would be different and overturn the domination of the traditional powers that keep the country poor and underdeveloped: oligarchs, corrupt politicians, drug lords and organized crime, and even […]
Create jobs by building national industry
January 13, 2017
The country’s worsening jobs crisis sees more and more Filipinos in poor quality work. Six of 10 are either non-regular and agency-hired workers, in private households, self-employed, own-account workers, or in unpaid family work. Quality jobs bring peace. Create jobs by building national industry. Base peace on people-centered development.
Fuel excise tax more burden than boon for poor — IBON
January 9, 2017
Research group IBON said that the fuel excise tax being pushed by President Duterte’s economic managers will increase taxes on already burdened poor and low income wage earners. The group said that the Duterte administration should redesign the tax system to tax the richest who have the huge ability to pay more and relieve […]
Change Underway?–The IBON 2016 Yearend Birdtalk
December 31, 2016
The overwhelming win of an unorthodox Presidential candidate in the May 2016 elections promised several windows for reforms. For a country stricken with poverty and a worsening jobs crisis, beyond a coarse-mannered figurehead, prospects that this new leadership could jumpstart measures to improve the lives of the poor majority of Filipinos were introduced. In […]
Jobs crisis prevails despite lower unemployment rate — IBON
December 20, 2016
Though claiming lowest joblessness in the past decade, research group IBON said that government’s latest unemployment figures fail to show the real extent of the jobs crisis in the country. Underemployment and poor quality of work still prevail, said the group. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) recently released the October 2016 results of the […]
Aid for profit undermines development
December 5, 2016
Official development aid (ODA) is increasingly becoming a tool to support private profits rather than people-centered development. This indicates the persistence of the neoliberal ways that prevent aid from meaningfully contributing to national development. The Second High-Level Meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) recently held in Nairobi, Kenya, concluded with a […]
EV agri neglected despite billions in Yolanda funds
November 28, 2016
As disaster survivors from Eastern Visayas converge in Manila to bare mounting poverty, hunger and injustice in the region, research group IBON said that the region’s agriculture and fisheries sector are slow to recover despite billions in available Yolanda funds. The group noted that while a significant number of people in Eastern Visayas depend on […]
Marcos-initiated “globalization” led to PH economic decline
November 26, 2016
“In 1980, the Marcos regime actually made the Philippines the first country in Asia and the second country in the world, after Turkey, to be at the receiving end of a World Bank structural adjustment loan (SAL). The conditionalities of the US$200 million loan included among others tariff cuts, removal of import licenses and […]
Marcos ensured US-directed IMF/WB intervention in PH policy making
November 25, 2016
“The rule of Nacionalista Party’s Ferdinand E. Marcos which began in 1965 was strong on nationalist and patriotic rhetoric. Yet Pres. Marcos was by no means a nationalist if ‘nation’ is understood as the majority of Filipinos and ‘nationalism’ as upholding their interests and asserting Filipino sovereignty over foreign powers. “Most anti-nationalist president. […]
