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, […]

Return water services to public control

March 31, 2019

Metro Manila has third most expensive water in region

March 31, 2019

On the Duterte government designing loans to favor China

March 27, 2019

Gov’t designed Kaliwa loan to favor China—IBON

March 26, 2019

The Kaliwa Dam loan agreement is designed to unduly favor Chinese interests over that of the Philippines. IBON Foundation raised this concern in the wake of the release, upon public pressure, of this and other loan agreements. Metro Manila private water concessionaire Manila Water Company, Inc. and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Systems (MWSS) have […]

Gone, water gone!

March 23, 2019