Features

Challenge to Real Change

Hulyo 25, 2016

On the day of the State of the Nation Address, IBON explains why the 10-point economic agenda hangs like a dark cloud over pro-people economics prospects and even the chief executive’s recently-affirmed popularity   #SONA2016 #justpeacePH | IBON Features  The unorthodox candidate and eventually President Rodrigo Roa Duterte made a flurry of announcements before and […]

Filipino Steel and National Development

Hulyo 18, 2016

By Sonny Africa IBON FEATURES – A genuinely Filipino iron and steel industry is a vital strategic element for Philippine socioeconomic development, stability and national security. It can still serve as the backbone of manufacturing and national industrialization even amid the hyped globalization of the 21st century. The government needs to overcome decades of neoliberal […]

Elitist politics and economics: the real Aquino legacy

Hulyo 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 […]

Promote National Industrialization for National Development

Hunyo 30, 2016

IBON- NI (for peoples summit), Jun 16 v.2 Tens of millions of Filipinos suffer crushing poverty while a handful of foreign investors and domestic oligarchs prosper from the country’s natural resources and labor power. The situation has worsened after almost four decades of neoliberal globalization policies, including those under the outgoing Aquino administration. A clean […]

Fabella Hospital closure and privatization: Undermining mother and child care

Hunyo 9, 2016

​In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized a government hospital for being a “role model of the WHO-Western Pacific Regional Office for its essential newborn care programs, which have been proven to reduce infant morbidity and mortality.” Today, June 9, 2016, the Department of Health (DOH) will close the facility supposedly due to the […]

Hindi lumingon–a second look? The economics of the Duterte administration

Mayo 14, 2016

by Sonny Africa IBON FEATURES – Presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte projected a vastly different image from the other presidential candidates and indeed from every national politician the Philippines has ever had: coarse, cussing, irreverent, misogynistic, an unrepentant human rights violator, and a self-proclaimed “Socialist” and “Leftist”. But, never mind, the strongman was effective and got […]

Path not to take: The exclusionary and elitist Daang Matuwid

Mayo 8, 2016

#BeyondElections2016 | The Aquino administration’s long-playing call to sustain its so-called legacy of a fast-growing economy driven by “good governance” resonated in the “ituloy ang Daang Matuwid” electoral campaign. That the elections are just a day away and that the term of Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III is nearing its end are opportune moments to review […]

Anyare? Economic decline since Marcos

Mayo 5, 2016

The Marcos dictatorship started the Philippines on a path of economic decline that remains until today. This has already had the worst consequences for tens of millions of Filipinos across two generations. Unless corrected, it will burden generations to come. The Philippine economy’s decline since the 1980s is commonly attributed to the Marcos regime’s corruption […]

Automated Polls: Privatized elections, foreign-controlled democracy (Part 2)

Mayo 2, 2016

Second of Two Parts By Arnold Padilla   Why Smartmatic prevails Why Smartmatic keeps on winning Comelec contracts boggles the mind especially considering the numerous and major malfunctions by the machines and services that Smartmatic provided in the past two elections. To illustrate, while the AES law mandates a 99.995% accuracy rate, Smartmatic’s PCOS machines […]