budget

Yearstarter: Seeking better normal in 2022
January 14, 2022
The administration that is exiting and the new one entering can take a more rational and humane approach to recovering and reforming the economy.

Big budget for infra agencies, low disbursement under Duterte
October 3, 2021
The Duterte administration budgets so much for infrastructure but isn’t even able to spend all of it. The proposed 2022 infrastructure budget is even bigger — shouldn’t more of the allocation be used for health, ayuda and small business support instead?

Spending like normal during the very abnormal pandemic crisis
September 16, 2021

Inessential infra isn’t more important than health, ayuda
September 16, 2021

Still only token ayuda in 2022 budget – IBON
August 30, 2021
The Duterte administration’s proposed 2022 budget once again refuses to give the ayuda that millions of Filipinos need to alleviate the economic distress from lockdown-induced disruptions to livelihoods. COVID-19-related emergency assistance programs have been discontinued. There is some additional funding for existing social welfare programs but this falls far short of huge needs since the pandemic.

Business-as-usual 2022 budget unresponsive to pandemic – IBON
August 26, 2021
The proposed 2022 national budget is perplexingly business-as-usual with the same priorities as before the pandemic. There is still disproportionate attention to infrastructure, the military and police, and debt service with only marginal changes to the health and social protection budgets. This latest spending plan should not just be scrutinized but also retailored to give due attention to urgent medical and economic responses.

2022 budget stalls recovery, worsens inequality
August 23, 2021
Government’s proposed 2022 national budget is the second budget in a row that fails to respond to the pandemic. The Duterte administration is not spending enough on economic stimulus, health, ayuda, and small businesses which are the most important things to recover quickly and stop worsening deprivation. The economic managers’ misguided fiscal conservatism is counterproductive and needs urgent correction.

Bayanihan 2 and 2021 budget leave millions of unemployed behind
September 3, 2020
STATEMENT
Millions of Filipinos and their families will continue to suffer for years without a genuine stimulus program overriding the misguided fiscal conservatism and reckless optimism of the economic managers.