Despite sunny projections from the Marcos administration, the World Bank, and other financial institutions, the Philippine economy is on a continuing trajectory of slowdown unless its growth engines are fundamentally reformed, IBON Foundation said. Headline growth figures mask deep-seated...
The Marcos administration says that it wants to reduce the price of rice to Php20 per kilogram (kg) but its Benteng Bigas Meron Na! (BBM Na!) program is a publicity device with a very limited budget, research group IBON said. The group stressed that only bold...
Research group IBON said that the Marcos administration’s top priority post elections of hitting its 6.0% economic growth target for 2025 by achieving 6.2% growth rate for the remaining quarters of the year is absurd. The government must abandon its hyper-optimism and...
The Philippine economy is stumbling and on the verge of decline due to the worsening poverty and joblessness that the Marcos Jr administration is dismissing, said research group IBON. Latest official growth figures show household consumption weakening from the...
Research group IBON said that the Philippines having the third worst incidence of severe and moderate food insecurity in Southeast Asia shows the Marcos Jr administration’s failure on multiple development fronts. Amid the run up to the 2025 midterm elections, the...
“If the labor market is as vibrant as government claims, then why are Filipino families doing worse?”, asked research group IBON. The seemingly improved employment situation is not translating into the improving welfare of Filipino households, said the group. Instead...
The government should be cautious about its claim of a vibrant labor market considering there are over one million unemployed youth and an over 2 million increase in part-time workers. The Marcos administration’s hyping recent jobs figures ignores the millions of...
Overall inflation and food inflation are at their highest this year, hitting the poorest Filipinos with meager incomes the hardest, said research group IBON. The continuous rise in prices since the start of the year, with a significant surge in July 2024, highlights...
The persistent lack of decent work, low wages, and worsening poverty contradict the Marcos administration’s claims that the labor market is on a positive momentum and that more quality jobs are being created. Official year-on-year labor force data for May 2024 appears...
By JEANN MARAÑONIBON Foundation The roads leading to a barrio in Caloocan are narrow and uneven, with broken patches of asphalt that create a bumpy tricycle ride. They are so cramped that we have to stop often to yield to oncoming traffic. Hordes of people walk...
By MARICAR PIEDADIBON Foundation On the outskirts of Metro Manila lies a fertile expanse of wide plains, rolling hills and lush greenery. Its rich soil is suitable for different crops, including palay, and perfect for raising livestock and poultry. San Jose Del Monte...
The United States (US) has more overseas military bases than the rest of the world combined, and nearly 10 times more than its closest rivals China and Russia combined. The US government harps about China and Russia military aggression but research group IBON pointed...
Economic growth in the first quarter of 2024 was accompanied by a contraction in employment from the quarter before and even from the same period a year ago. The economic managers hailed the reported growth as keeping the Philippines “a leading force among Asia’s...