IBON Executive Director on the Php500 Noche Buena budget

November 29, 2025

Porkiest of all

November 28, 2025

Marcos Jr is the porkiest of them all, sustaining the past administration’s bloated, confidential, intelligence funds and contingent funds since the start of his term. But what clinches him the title “king of pork” is the scandalous spiking of unprogrammed appropriations under his watch.

Pork bonanza

November 28, 2025

Deindustrializing economy

November 27, 2025

Unstable labor market

November 27, 2025

Exclusionary growth

November 27, 2025

Corruption-driven growth

November 27, 2025

The national budgeting process

November 27, 2025

The budget process clearly shows the President’s culpability for hundreds of billions of pesos in pork barrel projects annually; for the abuse of budget mechanisms such as the unprecedented increase in unprogrammed appropriations to carve out pork barrel in the budget; and for the retention of his own bloated confidential and intelligence funds as well as that of the Office of the Vice President.

IBON Research Head conclusion of COP30

November 25, 2025