Research group IBON said that a wage hike towards a family living wage is a more than fair 50-50 split of profits between employers and Filipino workers. The group said that a meaningful wage hike is urgent for nominal wages to keep up with the rising cost of living. IBON stressed that raising...
Research group IBON said that the Php4 billion in fuel subsidies that the Marcos Jr administration is set to disburse is not enough relief for Filipinos, especially the poor, who have been burdened by rising oil prices for the past 10 weeks. There is Php3 billion for...
Ni MARLON TOBIASIBON Foundation Sa tuwing nababanggit ang lugar na Bulacan, napapahagikgik na lamang ako dahil sa wala namang ibang tatatak sa isip mo kundi lubak at baha. Nagbago ang tungo ko rito noong napasama ako sa isang exposure o saglit na pakikipamuhay sa mga...
Research group IBON said that the 2.8-million collapse in the number of employed persons but small decline in unemployed confirms that many Filipinos have dropped out of the labor force. This is due to the lack of jobs – even work that is self-employed and informal....
By MARICAR PIEDADIBON Foundation In the 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA), Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr vowed that the health system would go through structural changes. But the proposed 2024 budget for the sector is slashed by Php2 billion, while the new...
By SONNY AFRICAIBON Foundation The knee-jerk price control on rice through Pres. Bongbong Marcos’ Executive Order (EO) No. 39 is a bad idea. Which is not to say that some kind of intervention isn’t urgent. The uptick in inflation to 5.3% in August 2023...
My classmate once asked me how to spell ‘house’. We were in 12th grade. The country is in a learning crisis. A World Bank study recently revealed that 90% of Filipino students at age 10 are not able to read and understand age-appropriate text. Using...
By SONNY AFRICAIBON Foundation (Last of three parts) Revenue unfriendly On the expenditure side, the proposed budget for 2024 doesn’t spend on pressing economic needs while increasing spending to boost corporate profits and narrow political self-interest. This is made...
By SONNY AFRICAIBON Foundation (Second of three parts) Growth unfriendly Band-aids are not necessarily a bad thing. Social spending can be wielded to improve people’s conditions – which is important in itself even if not prioritized by the administration. But it can...
By SONNY AFRICAIBON Foundation (First of three parts) Finance Sec. Benjamin Diokno made an incredible claim at the opening of the Senate budget hearings: “If you look at the composition of the budget it’s talagang pro-poor.” But the budget’s numbers tell a...
Growing billionaire wealth amid increasing poverty, worsening joblessness, and stagnant wages shows that it’s high time for the Marcos Jr administration to heed calls for a wealth tax on the country’s billionaires.
Filipinos will have to contend with the sixth consecutive week of price hikes for diesel and gas and the fifth consecutive week for kerosene. The big oil corporations are raising the prices of petroleum products by Php1.50 per liter (/liter) for diesel, Php1.90/liter...
Growth slowing for three straight quarters confirms economic decline under the Marcos Jr administration. The economic rebound and momentarily fast growth from reopening, which was measured from the worst economic contraction in the country’s history, is over. The...