Charter change

What You Need to Know About Charter Change and its Possible Effects on the Education Sector

April 4, 2018

By Jose Lorenzo Lim (In a series of articles, IBON tackles proposals to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution*, focusing on social and economic provisions. These touch on agrarian reform for industrialization, and full foreign ownership and control of Philippine lands and natural resources including agricultural lands, public utilities, labor rights, educational institutions and mass media. […]

2017 Yearend Birdtalk: Dutertenomics and Dictatorship, Thwarting Democracy

January 29, 2018

Download the 2017 Yearend Birdtalk briefing paper here The year 2017 will be remembered as the year when the first major signs of distress for the Duterte administration showed themselves. The signs of economic troubles and the fundamentally anti-poor direction of economic policies became even clearer. The political agenda of centralized power and extended rule […]

Independent foreign policy? Foreign interests behind TRAIN, Cha-cha, says IBON

January 18, 2018

While President Duterte likes to claim that his administration adheres to an independent foreign policy, it appears that his major programs such as the packages of tax reforms and the planned Charter change (Cha-cha) are actually pushed by US and other foreign interests. IBON noted that the tax reforms and Cha-cha are among the key policy reforms long lobbied for by […]

Five ASEAN features that show “One Community” is exclusionary

November 12, 2017

By Casey Salamanca On its 50th year, and under Philippine chairmanship, the Association of South East Asian Nations or ASEAN is being hyped to have brought development to its member countries. Themed “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World” for 2017, the convergence of ASEAN’s ten-member countries and its dialogue partners is anticipated to bolster the regional […]

Federalism Cha-cha weakens nationalist provisions–IBON

August 16, 2017

Research group IBON criticized the weakening of nationalist provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution in the proposed federalism charter of pro-administration solons. The group said that the insertion of the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” in portions restricting foreign participation in essential sectors threatens prospects for the Philippine economy to develop independently. Introduced by […]

Protect PH econony, drop Cha-cha, lawmakers told

December 14, 2016

Protect PH economy, drop Cha-cha, lawmakers told   As the Duterte administration embarks on amending the highest law of the land, research group IBON called on legislators and government officials to stop moves to change the economic provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Not allowing Charter Change (Cha-cha) in this aspect can be a concrete […]

Most Filipinos opposed to more foreign ownership in PH economy – IBON Survey

November 4, 2016

​Nine of 10 Filipinos do not approve of further opening up the Philippine economy to foreign ownership of  land and the exploration and development of natural resources Research group IBON’s recent survey showed that the majority of Filipinos are against further foreign ownership in the country’s economy. Asked if they favored the proposal to further […]

Challenge to Real Change

July 25, 2016

On the day of the State of the Nation Address, IBON explains why the 10-point economic agenda hangs like a dark cloud over pro-people economics prospects and even the chief executive’s recently-affirmed popularity   #SONA2016 #justpeacePH | IBON Features  The unorthodox candidate and eventually President Rodrigo Roa Duterte made a flurry of announcements before and […]

Duterte’s 8-point economic agenda business as usual

May 14, 2016

The 8-point economic agenda of presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte is an elitist neoliberal agenda, research group IBON said. It is good for big business at the expense of the majority of Filipinos and long-term national development. Its “business as usual” belies the clamor for change and, in repeating Aquino-era policies that drove this clamor for […]