what chirps, reads :)

Usapang Ibon, Enero 2011

ibonreads — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:38:40 +0000

Gaganapin ang Usapang IBON, talakayan hinggil sa pambansang kalagayan, sa 25 Enero sa syudad ng San Juan at sa 27 Enero sa NCCP Building, ala-una ng hapon hanggang alas-singko. Inaanyayahan ang lahat na dumalo, matuto, mag-ambag at lumahok sa talakayang ito.

Usapang IBON Enero 2011

IBON 2011 Yearend Birdtalk

ibonreads — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:53:53 +0000

IBON 2011 Yearend Birdtalk

The year 2011 was a period of economic and political turmoil. Around the world the global crisis is being felt, with protests growing in different countries as people experience worsening unemployment and inequality. The Philippines, faced with political troubles like the Corona impeachment and Arroyo arrest, is not spared from the effects of the global crisis.

The country’s prospects amid these conditions will be discussed in the IBON Birdtalk, a semestral briefing on the economic and political assessment and trends. We cordially invite you to this event entitled 2011 Yearend Birdtalk: Beyond the Political Noise, Economic Prospects for 2012. The briefing will be on January 19, 1 pm at the Bocobo Hall Penthouse, UP Law Center, Diliman, Quezon City (Behind the UP College of Law) and January 20, 1pm at the Malcolm Hall Theater of the UP College of Law. IBON executive editor Ms. Rosario Bella Guzman and research head Mr. Sonny Africa will present the yearend briefing.

There will be a registration fee of Php175 to cover for the briefing paper and refreshments. For inquiries, please call IBON at telephone nos (632) 927-7060 to 62 loc 301. Look for Issa, Mario or Joseph.

Let us help Sendong victims

ibonreads — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:11:36 +0000

: IBON calls for help for Sendong victims

LET US HELP THE VICTIMS OF TYPHOON SENDONG. Drop relief goods at IBON Center, #114 Timog Ave., Q.C.

Best to send cash donations directly to Rural Missionaries of the Phils. Northern Mindanao account:

Bank Name and Address:
Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)
Quezon Avenue branch, 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
… Account number: 009359-1348-08
Account Name and Address: RMP-NMR Inc.
Room 01, Kalinaw Lanao Center for Interfaith Resources
0016 Bougainvilla Puti, Villaverde
Iligan City 9200, Philippines

For INTERNATIONAL Transfers from anywhere pls add the international
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM.

Thank you!

Deadly mix for disaster

ibonreads — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:05:59 +0000

Repost from the Philippine Daily Inquirer: Deadly mix for disaster.

Scarcity and hunger amid abundance

ibonreads — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:26:14 +0000

The Philippines is endowed with rich natural resources that can feed its people.

Yet a great and growing number of people in the country suffer from food scarcity and hunger with latest official data counting 12.2 million Filipinos subsistence poor. This dismal food situation is caused by the continuing lack of genuine land reform and the implementation of neoliberal policies that undermine the people’s capacity to produce and buy food.

Not too long ago, the Philippines was a net food exporter. But then aggressive liberalization efforts especially since the 1990s caused a sharp turnabout in its food self-sufficiency. The country has been posting food trade deficits since 1995, when the World Trade Organization (WTO) was set up with the Philippines as a founding member, averaging $US985.6 million annually.

The influx of cheap, heavily subsidized imported food commodities and agricultural goods has also greatly undermined the livelihood of small local producers. already long suffering feudal exploitation stemming from their landlessness, small Filipino farmers and direct food producers face even more bankruptcy and desolation under agricultural liberalization.

Rural livelihoods, which account for a significant portion of employment in the country and people’s capacity to afford basic food needs have been drastically eroded.

For instance, the average daily pay of a Filipino farm worker is equivalent to less than 23% of the daily cost of living of an average family. The same is true for workers in other economic sectors: manufacturing workers, for example, receive only a little over 29%.

There is a wide gap between Filipino families’ incomes and what they need to buy food and other basic needs because of neoliberal policies that depress wages and incomes at the same time as allowing monopoly pricing. Price and production subsidies for food are the people’s last line of defense against the increasing unaffordability of food — but these are being abolished such as through the continuing privatization of the National Food Authority.

A real shift in policy direction and priorities on agriculture, food production and agrarian reform is needed if the new administration of President Benigno Aquino III is to reverse the worsening state of hunger and poverty in the country. The relentless neoliberal attack on the country’s food security must be met with ever-growing people’s resistance to defend the national patrimony and sovereignty and with an unflinching commitment to build a society that can adequately feed its people.

Excerpts from “On Removing the Nationalist Economic Provisions”

ibonreads — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:38:39 +0000

Presented to the House of Representatives Committee on Constitntional Amendments

by Sonny Africa, IBON Research Head

“What is good for foreign investment is not necessarily good for the economy.”

“Charter change to remove nationalist economic provisions is not needed for investment.”

“In 2000, 70 countries introduced 150 regulatory changes with 147 towards liberalization/ promotion (98%) and 3 towards regulations/ restrictions (2%).”

“In 2010, 74 countries introduced 149 regulatory changes with 101 towards liberalization/ promotion (68%) and 48 towards regulations/ restrictions (32%).”

“Since November 2008, governments have together implemented 1,055 protectionist measures — G20 members have imposed 602 of these protectionist policies.”

“Charter change to remove nationalist provisions will be bad for Philippine development.”

“The country has been deferential to foreign investments for decades.”

“Obsolete globalization policies need to be changed, not the 1987 Constitution.”

“Foreign investors want to profit from the Philippines, not develop it.”

“Regulate foreign investment for mutual benefit and strategic national development.”

Strengthen State Support to Public Tertiary Education Institutions! No to Amending the Constitution to Allow Further Foreign Control of Philippine Higher Education

ibonreads — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:07:44 +0000

Presentation to the Committee on Constitutional Amendments

House of Representatives

October 11, 2011

by Prof. Judy Taguiwalo, IBON Foundation Board Vice Chairperson

Photo by Iggy Agbayani

The committee’s formulation of the topic of today’s meeting “the feasibility of amending the restrictive provision of the 1987 Constitution..” indicates a bias for amending the economic and social provisions of the 1987 Constitution in favor of further opening up of the economy to foreign investors. Such bias, I presume, is based on an assumption that economic growth and the country’s development can only be achieved by expanding foreign ownership and foreign investment in Philippine natural resources, industrial lands, media, professions and tertiary education.

Ibon Foundation, of which I am a member of the Board of Trustees, has already presented persuasive arguments against such assumption in its December 14, 2010 submission to this Committee.[1] I quote the most relevant excerpt:

FDI ostensibly goes towards building a strong productive economic base. However there is nothing to indicate that all this FDI has contributed to creating a strong domestic economy able to create jobs on a sustainable basis. On the contrary, the number of jobless Filipinos has continued to rise and the 2001-2009 period is the worst nine-year period of recorded unemployment in the country’s history (even before the global crisis). While jobs in export processing zones or special economic zones have been increasing, these have not been able to offset job losses and stunted industrial development elsewhere in the economy. There will also be other costs as foreign investors use their accumulated capital and other capabilities to their advantage. Local enterprises and businesses, already reeling from decades of “globalization”, will be further weakened or taken over. The country’s scarce mineral, forestry and fishery resources will be exploited with scant benefits for the local economy – and in some cases even lost forever. Local communities will be dislocated and land prices will be driven up. The prices of utilities and social services will keep rising and become more unaffordable for poor Filipinos.

My presentation this afternoon focuses on why I am strongly opposed to amending the Constitution to allow further “liberalizing investments in educational institutions by allowing foreign investment in tertiary education”

What are the constitutional guarantees regarding education?

Section 17 of Article II Declaration of Principles and State Policies, states that “(t)he State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, culture and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progess and promote total human liberation and development.”

Article XIV, Education and Technology, Arts, Culture and Sports contains specific sections on State responsibilities with regard to education. These are:

Section 1. The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.

Section 2. The State shall:

1. Establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society;

Section 3.

1. All educational institutions shall include the study of the Constitution as part of the curricula.

2. They shall inculcate patriotism and nationalism, foster love of humanity, respect for human rights, appreciation of the role of national heroes in the historical development of the country, teach the rights and duties of citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritual values, develop moral character and personal discipline, encourage critical and creative thinking, broaden scientific and technological knowledge, and promote vocational efficiency.

Section 4.

1. The State recognizes the complementary roles of public and private institutions in the educational system and shall exercise reasonable supervision and regulation of all educational institutions.

2. Educational institutions, other than those established by religious groups and mission boards, shall be owned solely by citizens of the Philippines or corporations or associations at least sixty per centum of the capital of which is owned by such citizens. The Congress may, however, require increased Filipino equity participation in all educational institutions. The control and administration of educational institutions shall be vested in citizens of the Philippines.

In effect liberalizing higher education in the Philippines would mean amending these Constitutional provisions : “Educational institutions, other than those established by religious groups and mission boards, shall be owned solely by citizens of the Philippines or corporations or associations at least sixty per centum of the capital of which is owned by such citizens “ and “(t)he control and administration of educational institutions shall be vested in citizens of the Philippines.”

Why we are against further allowing foreign investment in tertiary education?

The main arguments presented by proponents of amending the Constitution to allow foreign investment in tertiary education in the country are framed on a strong belief of education not as a service but as a commodity. Hence arguments such as extending the range of choices for the students, enabling the country to become more globally competitive and opening the market as a member of WTO among others are used to buttress their position of opening Philippine higher education to foreign investors.

The “right of all citizens to quality education at all levels” is a right guaranteed by the 1987 Constitution. Foreign institutions interested in investing in higher education in the country are not propelled by the view of education as a right but view education as a business and as potential source of profits. Such view will further commercialize education—meaning access is only open to those who can afford it; courses are offered not on the basis of national development goals or of developing patriotism and pride in one’s national identity and faculty and staff evaluation are not on the basis of competence and service to the nation but on the basis of efficiency.

The de-capitalization of the country will be accelerated. While foreign investors are supposed to bring in capital to the country, earnings are repatriated to the mother country. Hence it is not surprising that advance capitalist countries like the United States and Australia are the most avid advocates for opening higher education in developing countries to foreign investors. The United States earned as much as US$13.4 billion in export revenues from education in 2003. Australia, the third –largest exporter of higher education services after the US and the earned A$5.9B in this area in 2004 -its fourth largest source of export earnings.

Foreign investments in higher education in the Philippines will have a similar impact on domestic institutions as foreign manufacturing investors had on domestic industries—the closure of local institutions. But unlike in manufacturing, the impact on the Philippines will not be limited to economic losses such as loss of jobs or the further de-industrialization of the country. Opening the gates of tertiary education in the country to foreign investors will accelerate the attack against the very soul and psyche of the nation. Education together with science and technology, arts, culture and sports are aimed at “foster(ing) patriotism and nationalism, accelerat(ing) social progress, and promot(ing) total human liberation and development”. [2] Foreign education providers are not, cannot be, expected to adhere to these goals as their priority.

I call on the members of the House of Representatives to protect the already very limited provisions in our Constitution upholding patriotism and nationalism; to address the crisis of our educational system by strengthening state support for our public basic and tertiary education institutions and to not, I implore you, not to sell these institutions to the highest foreign bidder.

Maraming salamat.

[1] “On Charter Change and Foreign Investments”. IBON Foundation, December 14, 2010.Submitted to the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Amendments. http://www.scribd.com/doc/45764446/IBON-Cha-Cha-and-FDI-Econ-Folly-Dec-10, accessed September 9, 2011

[2] Article II, Declaration of Principles and State Policies, Section 17. 1987 Philippine Constitution

Invitation to forum on Charter Change

ibonreads — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:26:36 +0000

Saludo sa mga Titser ng Bayan!

ibonreads — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 02:20:48 +0000

Salute to teachers

IBON celebrates 33 years: September activities

ibonreads — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 02:43:15 +0000

IBON celebrating 33 years of promoting economics for the people is part of the 32nd MIBF and the 9th DPRM!

1. Forum on “US, EU Debt Woes: What it means for the Philippines”
With Educators Forum for Development (EFD)
7 Sept 2011, Romulo Hall, Asian Center UP Diliman
Speaker: Mr Sonny Africa (IBON research head)

2. Book signing of “Economics for the Filipino” by Mr Ricky M. Santos
The 32nd Manila International Book Fair
14-18 Sept 2011, SMX Convention Center Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

3. Educators’ forum on “Economic Nationalism and Philippine Education” (Tarlac-wide)
14 Sept 2011, Central Luzon Doctors’ Hospital, Tarlac City
Speaker: Ms Jazminda Lumang (IBON executive director) and Mr John Paul Andaquig (co-author of “Ang Kasaysayan at Pamahalaan ng Pilipinas”)

4. Educators’ forum on “Economic Nationalism and Philippine Education” (Cebu City-wide)
30 Sept 2011, Colegio de Sto. Nino, Cebu City
Speaker: Ms Jazminda Lumang

5. “Yes for Peace” Launching (nationwide school-based peace advocacy campaign)
21 Sept 2011, Batasan Hills Elementary School
Speaker: Rep Teodoro Casino with special guests Reps. Sonny Belmonte and Manny Pacquiao