Change for the families of working people seems to be getting farther rather than nearer: 2017 began with government declarations of intention to raise various taxes and workers contributions such as oil excise tax, beverage tax, SSS, among others.
“The first six months showed a tendency already that the Duterte administration is a populist administration pushing for neoliberal policies under a smokescreen of war on drugs, national rhetoric and leftist façade.”
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective After declaring, during his campaign, that he would approve the P2,000 Social Security System pension hike if elected, President Duterte has obviously reneged on his promise. Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno’s statement that people should differentiate between Rodrigo Duterte the candidate and Duterte the president did not help any. It is…
Progressive youth and teachers groups welcomed the budgetary increase that will make tuition in state universities and colleges free, but criticized the expansion of the voucher system, which, they said, privatizes the public education system.
“They are vermin, narrow-minded, misbegotten souls who mistakenly believe that they can silence critical speech and thought in their desire to force people into accepting only one worldview – theirs.” — NUJP
A New People’s Army under the coconut trees.
President Duterte enters the second half of his first year in office unrelentingly pursuing his bloody war on illegal drugs, which during the electoral campaign he had promised to complete in six months. The fulfillment of another campaign promise has now been added to that: weeding out corruption in government. Comes now the disclosure by…
The advent of every new year inevitably brings with it not only the cheery predictions of hacks who claim to have the power to foretell what will happen in the next 12 months by telling the world which celebrity will be sleeping with whom or how the economy will perform. It’s also one more opportunity…
Ni TONY BORINAGA ng ating binihag na bayan kung gabi, nakikita’y tanging kinang ng bituin at ganda ng asul na buwan sa umaga, pag-asa ang hatid ng pagdungaw ng araw. lagi sa kanilang utak umiinog ang romansahan, ang walang katapusang tamis at pait ng kalibugan: (aking kamay sa mga pakpak ng kanyang dibdib. bakit nagwakas…
When Rodrigo Duterte became president in mid-2016, many were confident that he would bring about genuine change in the country. Included in these hopefuls are the science and technology community, positive that his administration would cease the passive path on tackling scientific development treaded on by previous presidents, and instead undergo a track that will…
The “Government has always been wary of providing the people with much needed support but is ever ready to ensure the profit of foreign investors through various forms of incentives including providing sovereign guarantees to private multinational corporations.”