Education

The neglect of PH education: Where do we go from here?

October 5, 2021

The Philippines is one of two remaining countries in the world that have not reopened schools and conducted in-person classes. This is quite telling not only of the Duterte government’s poor pandemic response but also of the pre-existing problems of the Philippine education system. This is aggravated by the administration’s budget mispriorities, where it allocates more for infrastructure projects than education.

World Teacher’s Day 2020: PH gov’t must step up to ensure Filipino teachers’ welfare and safety

October 4, 2020

As National Teacher’s Month culminates with the celebration of World Teacher’s Day on October 5th, the Educators’ Forum for Development (EfD) urges the Duterte administration to deliver all necessary support to public and private Filipino educators in the basic and higher education sectors.

Extend Preparation through a 6-month Bridge Period, and Postpone School Opening to January 2021

July 7, 2020

POLICY NOTE

The EFD shares in the objective of ensuring the right and access to education of Filipino learners, and believes that learning should continue despite the pandemic. But we cannot support any rushed implementation without ensuring the maximum support to the three most important stakeholders – teachers, learners and parents.

Duterte admin’s econ direction troubling, but peace talks may stir change?

January 18, 2017

While the unorthodox Pres. Rodrigo Duterte gained popular support due to its pro-poor pronouncements and promise of change, research group IBON said that the neoliberal economic agenda prevails as  Duterte’s economic managers and other dominant groups push big business-biased/free market-oriented policies over people-centered reforms. Nevertheless, IBON also said that the ongoing peace negotiations between the […]

Development Brings Peace (2014)

July 24, 2016

Reposting IBON’s 2014 infovideo stressing that genuine progress is contingent to a just and lasting peace. IBON reprises this video in a soon-to-be-released version at a time when the newly-seated Duterte administration opened the door for the resumption of peace negotiations anew. IBON joins the public supporting the the peace talks, which is a main call […]

Provide free or affordable social services, gov’t urged

July 22, 2016

The basic economic issues confronting the new Duterte administration will take center stage in the peace negotiations as the next substantive agenda on the Comprehensive Agreement for Soci​al and Economic Reforms. IBON joins the public in aspiring for the soonest resumption of the peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front and the Moro […]

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 […]