A sunglasses shopper looks confused with the many choices before him, all reflecting his image. (Wangfujing, Beijing, China)
Month: June 2012
Tobacco sin tax will not benefit tobacco farmers – lawmakers
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com MANILA — Progressive lawmakers have put their foot down against six taxes on tobacco. Lawmakers from Anakpawis and Bayan Muna said the sin tax bill Congress approved on third reading last June 6, 2012 will not benefit local tobacco producers. “In the name of providing more funds for the…
Child labor, an offspring of ‘bankrupt employment, economic program’
By MARYA SALAMAT
Child labor arises in the Philippines because of the government’s failure in generating decent jobs. – KMU
Rice crisis in the offing as WTO removes restrictions on rice imports – farmers’ group
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com MANILA — The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas warned that the Philippines risks going through a rice crisis as the Benigno Aquino III administration is set to open the floodgates to bigger amounts of rice imports. June 30 marks the end of the quantitative restrictions (QRs) the World Trade Organization…
‘Verification process’ at Hacienda Luisita, ploy
By RONALYN V. OLEA
The Department of Agrarian Reform has interviewed 8,400 farmworkers when the tentative list of beneficiaries includes only 6,296 farmers who signed the stock distribution option in 1989.
Two years under Aquino, abuses go unpunished as president reneges on promise — HRW
In the Philippines, there is still no successful prosecution of security forces for killings, ‘disappearances,’ despite Aquino’s campaign and inauguration promises for accountability.
Boys accuse village official of torture
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
“When we were in the barangay hall, we were told by the barangay ex-o to undress to see if we have tattoos. When we were already undressed he electrocuted us.”
Soldiers harass peace caravan in Quezon
By RONALYN V. OLEA
“It clearly shows the brazenness of the military. They were ready to do anything to sabotage our caravan.” – Save Bondoc Peninsula Movement
Aquino’s billion-dollar ‘loan’ to IMF, an insensitive PR stunt
By MARYA SALAMAT
The Philippines is still a debtor nation, and as Ibon Foundation said, this ‘lending’ to the IMF used to be a sensibly un-hyped part of “management of any country’s international reserves.”
Conditional Cash Transfers, from beneficiaries’ view
Stories from CCT communities give us a picture that is different from how government describes the positive impact of its anti-poverty program.
Kin of victims search for Palparan in military camps
By RONALYN V. OLEA
“The silence of the Aquino administration is deafening. We believe that influential individuals in government and in the military are coddling Palparan.” – Karapatan