As COVID-19 wipes out whatever is left of the limited opportunities for Filipinos to earn a living, the Duterte administration’s lacking response, combined with an oppressive political environment, creates conditions for a perfect storm of social unrest.
Oil firms-imposed price adjustments are higher than what should be – by P 2.41 per liter for diesel and P4.76 per liter for gasoline, based on a DOE-recognized formula. The Big Three, a Duterte backer and other oil firms, rake in tens of millions of pesos daily from profiteering.
“The latest round of price hikes will definitely hurt consumers including low to middle-income earners and especially poor sectors like farmers, fisherfolk and urban poor.”
LIVING in the Philippines has always been challenging and difficult for many Filipinos. But never since the Marcos dictatorship has it been more dangerous than today for Lumad, dissenters, women, human rights defenders and the poor. In response to life’s daily perils, some 20% of the population — or roughly 20 million men and women…
For most Filipino families, especially the poor and those in the lower income brackets, the rising costs of these basic needs mean tremendous pressure on household budgets.
“Truth be told, the wages of our workers have long been stunted and its purchasing power gravely diminished.”
“Instead of practically exempting these big corporations from paying billions and billions of taxes, their taxes should be collected immediately and used to uplift the living standards of many Filipinos who are stuck in abject poverty.”
“While there are many reasons for inflation the government only seeks to divert from its direct accountability for TRAIN-induced higher prices by exaggerating the effects of global oil price and the peso depreciation.”
“While the TRAIN law provides higher income tax exemption for those earning below P250,000 ($4,818) annually, it actually levies a higher tax burden to the poor majority with the removal of some VAT (value added tax) exemptions and introduction of new excise taxes on petroleum products and sugar-sweetened beverages.”
While TRAIN puts more money into the pockets of 5.5 million of the highest-earning 9.1 million households through reduced personal income tax (PIT) and lower estate and donor’s taxes, the price surges in prime commodities and services have begun affecting the overwhelming majority of poor Filipinos without any income tax gains.
“The concerns of women are still the same.”