Duterte administration
Inflation slows but prices still higher than before
May 7, 2019
Inflation slowed in April 2019 but rice, fish, sugar, and many vegetables are still more expensive than last year
How do the senatoriables fare on contractualization?
May 4, 2019
Endo has not been ended. Various forms of contractualization are still abound and continue to subject millions of workers to low paying insecure jobs without benefits. Who will act to end contractualization once and for all?
Malacañang’s enthusiasm on credit rating upgrade unwarranted-IBON
May 4, 2019
IBON executive director Sonny Africa said that the recent credit rating upgrade is not a sign of economic progress and that Malacañang’s enthusiasm is greatly unwarranted. The credit rating upgrade is most of all an assessment of the government’s ability to repay debt and not of economic development. There would be no such upgrade if […]
Workers left behind in growing economy under Duterte administration
April 29, 2019
Wages of workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) continue to fall even as their growing labor productivity drives economic growth under the Duterte government. The mandated minimum wage is not even keeping up with the rising cost of living for ordinary Filipinos. Research group IBON said that keeping wages low distributes wealth unevenly and […]
IBON Facts & Figures: “Alternative to Power Privatization” [Excerpt]
April 18, 2019
Amid power interruptions because of combined forced power outages due to maintainance and various power plants’ system problems, we share the introduction of the December 2014 IBON Facts & Figures issue titled “Alternative to Power Privatization”: “When the Philippine government privatized the electric power sector in 2001, it promised cheaper and sustainable supply of energy […]
Don’t insist on low poverty threshold, address jobs crisis, gov’t told
April 17, 2019
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) recently attributed reduced poverty in the first semester of 2018 to the rising quality of jobs under the Duterte administration. But research group IBON said that dismal jobs creation, the magnitude of joblessness, poor quality work, and meager wages give away the true picture of Philippine poverty. The […]
Family living wage for a family of five members in NCR
April 14, 2019
“The choice of official poverty lines is a political one. Setting a high standard indicates the government having a high level of ambition for poverty eradication. Government, however has chosen to set a low standard – in this case, the Php10,481 per month or Php69.87 per day poverty threshold – which results in tens of […]
What the Rice Tariffication Law violates
April 10, 2019
The declared policy of the newly signed Republic Act (RA) 11203 or Rice Tariffication Law, now with issued implementing rules and regulations, is apparently to ensure food security. Ironically, it is the very same principle that the law puts at risk. Food security is a precondition for economic development. A hungry population is a weak, […]
