Philippine economy
Agricultural Job Losses
January 16, 2025
The huge drop in agricultural employment, largely attributed to the devastation caused by five typhoons, is a cause for concern. These job losses not only mean lost income and livelihoods for millions of Filipino farmers and fisherfolk, but underscores government’s long-time neglect and lack of substantial support for the sector.
The bright side of the economy in 2025
January 7, 2025
Public awareness and demands for a better budget are essentially demands for an economic framework that prioritizes the welfare of the many over the interests of the few. This is a potentially powerful foundation for better economic policymaking in 2025 and beyond.
About the recently-enacted 2025 national government budget
December 31, 2024
Pres. Marcos Jr said that the newly signed General Appropriations Act for 2025 reflects the government’s commitment to “[transform] economic gains into meaningful outcomes for every Filipino.” The Php6.326-trillion national budget however only reinforces the country’s undemocratic politics and inequitable economy. It still has hundreds of billions of pesos for pork barrel projects, confidential and […]
IBON Executive Director Sonny Africa on enacted 2025 national government budget
December 31, 2024
The people have to beg and struggle for every precious peso for education, health, housing and ayuda that they’re entitled to as a matter of right, and that the government should give as a matter of obligation
2025 BBM: Budget Badly Made
December 17, 2024
The government easily decides on austerity for the poor, yet just as easily decides to give huge budgets for pork and patronage, infrastructure for the rich, and even sacred debt service.
IBON forum: People’s pressure crucial to hold erring public officials accountable
December 15, 2024
The move to impeach Sara Duterte should not be trivialized as just the falling-out of the Marcos and Duterte camps, but as a serious effort by Filipinos to collectively hold corrupt bureaucrats answerable. They agreed on the need for more forums and mobilizations to strengthen people’s solidarity on the impeachment move.
Rate expectations: Rethinking PH credit ratings
December 12, 2024
The economic managers don’t seem to realize that credit ratings are just, well, credit ratings. These shouldn’t be overstated as any kind of measure of economic performance or much less of national development.
The Long Game of Development (3)
December 8, 2024
We can’t neglect the most important strategy of democratic mass mobilizations to shift the balance of power and policies towards the majority.
The Long Game of Development (2)
December 8, 2024
From the 18th century and the first industrial revolution, how much have great leaps in technologies really contributed to fixing social underdevelopment? The expanding poverty and vulnerability of billions of people gives an answer.
