Crisis upon crisis: 2021 Yearstarter Birdtalk highlights

January 23, 2021

It is important that the government acknowledge the enormity of the public health and economic crisis. This is necessary for the vital shift in attitude from business-as-usual to undertaking urgent COVID-19 response and long-term reforms.

IBON debunks economic Cha-cha movers’ claims on FDI

January 19, 2021

Charter change proponents claim that removing economic protections against foreign investments is needed for economic recovery. But FDI liberalization will instead have long-term adverse impacts on national economic development.

The 2021 Yearstarter Birdtalk

January 16, 2021

There’s certainly much we can do to make sure that 2021 is better.

Economic cha-cha is no vaccine for recovery or development

January 13, 2021

The economy’s development lies in using the protections in the Constitution to gain from foreign investment, not in taking away the protections and giving self-interested foreign investment free rein over the domestic economy.

Charter change compromises Philippine economy

January 12, 2021

Pursuing economic Cha-cha in the middle of a public health crisis and unprecedented economic decline smacks of putting vested interests first over squarely addressing the urgent need to create and save jobs, incomes and small businesses.

Opening Statement for the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments on the Proposed Amendments to the 1987 Constitution

February 13, 2020

The current global context of growing protectionism, a turnaround from investment liberalization, and eroding multilateralism make relaxing foreign equity restrictions even more inappropriate

Global crisis even less reason for charter change

September 28, 2019

BY SONNY AFRICA

The policy question is not how to attract foreign investment at all costs. Rather, it is asking what needs to be done for foreign capital to genuinely contribute to the country’s long-term economic development.

Neoliberal Charter change: foreign control of PH economy

September 2, 2019

Decades of economic liberalization has weakened domestic agriculture and Filipino industry, as is happening with the rice sector today. Yet Congress is still proposing to remove the last remaining protections for the economy in the 1987 Constitution.#MalalangEkonomiya #MayMagagawa #PeopleEconomics

2019 midterm elections results: Harsher policies ahead

May 26, 2019

Administration-backed bets dominated the 2019 midterm elections especially in the Senate. The Duterte administration will certainly fast track its priority neoliberal policies as soon as the 18th Congress opens. It already used its super-majority in the 17th Congress to pass socioeconomic measures aggravating the country’s jobs crisis, poverty, and underdevelopment. More and harsher ones loom […]