inequality
Downplaying the price impact of TRAIN dishonest and insensitive–IBON
January 8, 2018
Petroleum excise taxes proven to be very inflationary in the past The administration persistently downplays certain increases in the prices of goods and services, research group IBON’s Executive Director Sonny Africa said. This is dishonest and insensitive to the burden that the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) imposes on the poor to avoid […]
IBON: DOF insistence on its tax package confirms anti-poor, pro-rich Dutertenomics
September 15, 2017
Research group IBON said that the Department of Finance’s (DOF) resistance to even minor changes in its proposed tax reform program confirms the anti-poor and pro-rich character of the Duterte administration’s economic policies. The Senate Ways and Means Committee proposed minor changes to shift some tax burden from the poor to the rich at its […]
Dutertenomics: lost cause?
July 20, 2017
During the Duterte administration’s first year, there was all the hype about aiming for inclusiveness and championing the common Filipino family’s dream for a comfortable life. The President took important, some unprecedented steps including hinting nationalism, willingness to work with progressives in the cabinet and pursuit of peace negotiations. Yet the administration capitalized on bloody […]
Change? Not three decades after EDSA, not under PDP–IBON
February 26, 2017
The Philippines remains backward and underdeveloped with severe inequality 31 years after the so-called EDSA revolution, research group IBON said. The Duterte administration’s new Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 will not change this, said the group, in continuing the failed neoliberal policies of the Marcos regime and all subsequent administrations. EDSA 1986 was a repudiation of […]
Meaningfully distribute income, wealth and assets
January 13, 2017
Growth is not felt by the poor majority. The wealth of the 10 richest Filipinos grew 220% within 2010-2015 while the real value of the average daily basic pay of wage and salary workers rose by just 5.3%. From 2015-2016, the net worth of the 40 richest Filipinos grew by almost 14% while the real […]
64% of Filipinos had trouble paying for electricity—IBON Survey
November 21, 2016
IBON’s latest survey showed that many Filipinos had trouble meeting expenses on electricity and water in the recent months. Asked how their family met expenses on electricity and water in the past three months, six of ten said they had trouble meeting electricity expenses while many said they had trouble meeting water expenses. Sixty-four percent […]
Elitist politics and economics: the real Aquino legacy
July 1, 2016
The next presidency is challenged to tackle a worst-ever jobs crisis, heightened inequality,and pro-foreign and pro-business policies sown under Aquino’s leadership Towards the end of its six years in office, the Aquino government boasted its legacy of inclusive growth. Indeed for its neoliberal thrusts the Aquino administration may have achieved certain economic outcomes. But for […]
Wage hikes under Aquino smallest since 1990s
May 1, 2016
Research group IBON said that unless the Aquino administration gives a wage hike before its term ends, it will have given the smallest wage hikes of any administration in the past 24 years. Wage repression is among the biggest reasons why recent rapid growth has been exclusionary and benefiting elites rather than the majority of […]
Filipino kids wither while super rich get richer under Aquino
March 7, 2016
Research group IBON called attention to the worsening state of Filipino children’s health amid reports that the Philippines’ super-rich had continued to grow even richer under the Aquino regime. The stark contrast underscores the exclusiveness of hyped growth, the group said. The burgeoning wealth of 11 Filipino businessmen, amounting to US $41.5 billion or Php1.95 […]
