public utilities

Duterte giving public utilities to foreign capital

February 3, 2022

Congress recently ratified the bicameral version of the bill amending the Public Service Act and opening up domestic sectors to 100% ownership by foreign capital. This includes telecommunications, shipping, airports, airlines, railways, subways, expressways and tollways. Passing this proposed law will be one-step-forwards-two-steps-backwards for the country.

Water You Up To, Mr. President?

December 13, 2019

BY SONNY AFRICA

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is posturing against oligarchs again. This time, the tough talk is against corporate water giants Manila Water and Maynilad.

Their Wealth is Tu-big!

December 6, 2019

INFOGRAPHICS

Water is a human right and should be a public service. But did you know how much it boosts private profits of the country’s richest oligarchs?

On President Duterte’s take on the water crisis in his SONA speech

July 24, 2019

#MalalangEkonomiya #MayMagagawa #PeopleEconomics

2019 midterm elections results: Harsher policies ahead

May 26, 2019

Administration-backed bets dominated the 2019 midterm elections especially in the Senate. The Duterte administration will certainly fast track its priority neoliberal policies as soon as the 18th Congress opens. It already used its super-majority in the 17th Congress to pass socioeconomic measures aggravating the country’s jobs crisis, poverty, and underdevelopment. More and harsher ones loom […]

Amendments to Public Services Act removes Constitutional protections on public utilities

May 24, 2019

Research group IBON raised the alarm that proposed amendments to the Public Services Act (PSA) removing Constitutional protections on public utilities will undermine national security and consumer welfare. The group argued that foreign control over important sectors should still be minimized and that natural monopolies should if anything be more tightly regulated. The Senate identified […]

Stop rate rebasing until onerous fees resolved – WPN

June 25, 2018

Advocacy group Water for the People Network (WPN) is appealing to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System – Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO) to halt the ongoing rate rebasing process that is expected to raise water rates in Metro Manila and its environs, saying the basis for determining future water rates remains unresolved. Concessionaires Maynilad and Manila […]