Duterte administration
Strong fiscal stimulus? Below average spending worsens in 2021, 2022
July 25, 2021
In the name of credit-worthiness, the Duterte administration increased its spending by only a bit, which is not at all commensurate to the enormity of the crisis at hand.
Helped Filipinos? Too few helped, too little given
July 25, 2021
The people’s and nation’s needs amid a public health emergency and economic crisis are huge, but government help stayed stingy while spending big on infrastructure, the military and debt-servicing.
Almost upper-middle-income country?
July 25, 2021
The government claims that the Philippines is close to being an upper-middle-income country. Yet its use of the very low poverty threshold of only Php71 per person per day or Php10,756 per month excludes millions of Filipinos with little earnings from those counted as poor.
Strong economy? Weak agriculture sector
July 25, 2021
The Duterte administration claims that under its watch, agriculture sector growth significantly increased. Simply untrue.
Strong economy? Falling real wages
July 25, 2021
The Philippines’ credit rating by Standard & Poor went up a notch from BBB/ Stable to BBB+ Stable this May, the highest recorded in history. But what use are rising credit ratings if working people still receive paltry wages?
Strong economy? Worst job creation in 6 administrations of post-Marcos era
July 25, 2021
“Strong economic fundamentals” claims questionable given stats on weakest job generation post-Marcos era
Strong economy? Among worst unemployment in Asia pre-pandemic
July 25, 2021
The Philippines was dubbed as among “Asia’s 10 fastest growing economies” in 2017 and 5th in the “Most Competitive Economies” list by the World Economic Fund in 2018. But growth and competitiveness for what?
Strong economy? Growth slowing even pre-pandemic
July 25, 2021
The Duterte administration keeps on repeating that the Philippine economy was strong coming into the pandemic. Official statistics prove otherwise.
