Duterte administration

Duterte administration’s shift to MECQ meaningless without urgent COVID-19 steps

August 20, 2021

The government has announced the easing of community quarantines. But new cases are still rising and there are no signs of government taking additional measures to fix the health system during the last two weeks of stricter lockdowns. If the health system is as weak as ever, what’s our way out of the pandemic?

Jobs crisis rages, ayuda diminishes

August 17, 2021

Ayuda helped mitigate the unemployment shock in April last year but this dropped to just token amounts afterwards despite millions still being unemployed and in desperate need of assistance. Poor pandemic response just made things even worse.

Use ₱133.9-billion TRAIN revenues for ayuda – IBON

August 14, 2021

The Duterte administration can use revenue generated by its regressive TRAIN law to fund emergency cash assistance. TRAIN’s new taxes increased the prices for goods and services consumed by the majority poor Filipinos even amid the pandemic and the revenues can be used productively while the law remains.

Duterte’s poor COVID response: Biggest unemployment increase in Southeast Asia

August 11, 2021

The pandemic hit everyone, but the Philippines could have responded at least as well as other countries in the region.

ODA for SDGs: Partnerships for whom?

August 5, 2021

Sustainable Development Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) is crucial as it defines the means of implementation and the global partnerships and cooperation that may have to be revitalized to realize the rest of the SDGs. One of the SDG 17 targets pertains to strengthening aid and financial resources, in particular official development assistance commitments. But why is ODA to the Philippines crowding into infrastructure?

June labor force survey confirms economy not recovering despite reopening

August 3, 2021

The latest labor force survey (LFS) shows how far away the economy is from recovering without real fiscal stimulus. Job generation is hollow with a bloating informal sector and huge contraction in full-time work. These will worsen with the looming ECQ which will push millions of Filipinos into deeper economic distress.