At a time when our people are battling a deadly pandemic, it is extremely unacceptable that there are those in government who are making media repression, not saving lives, as the priority.
The additional oil tax will make socially-sensitive products more expensive as well as increase the general price level. Instead of pursuing this grossly insensitive revenue measure, IBON said that government should instead impose a wealth tax on the country’s super-rich.
Groups such as the University of the Philippines Film Institute, the Altermidya Network and the Concerned Artists of the Philippines took to Facebook to broadcast a black screen symbolizing the sign off the media giant was forced to undergo by the Rodrigo Duterte government.
Bilang pakikiisa sa naganap na ‘No to ABS-CBN Shutdown’ online protest kahapon, Mayo 8, nag-alay ng isang awitin ang mga progresibo mula sa iba’t ibang sektor.
Human rights advocates believe that numbers will still increase and the full force of Covid-19 is yet to be felt. They also call for transparency in releasing death and infection rates to help craft policies and mitigate the spread of false information.
But in the long-term, food self-sufficiency is about the assertion of an entire range of human rights. The state should recognize the right to food, the right to produce food, the right to till the land, and to have control of the land that farmers have been tilling for generations. Farmers have the right to choose their own production system, so as not to be dictated by the whims of the market and made vulnerable to market vagaries. We can envision an agriculture that is moving away from the profit-oriented concept of value chain that disregards the small producers and their environment, and move towards sustainable farming practices.
Ayon sa mga nagprotesta, hindi ang media kundi si President Rodrigo Duterte ang dapat na patigilin sa pag-atake sa malayang pamamahayag at malayang ekspresyon.
“Ito ay wala sa katuwiran at pag-atake rin sa kalayaan sa pamamahayag. Ang ABS-CBN ay isang news organization. Hindi nila kasalanan na mapaso ang kanilang franchise dahil matagal na silang naghihintay na mapag-usapan ang kanilang petisyon para sa renewal. Inipit-ipit ng mga lider ng Kongreso na sumusunod sa kanilang prinsipal kaya inabot na ng ganito.”
“Sa panahon ngayon, importante ang social connection at psycho-social support sa bawat isa. Ok tayo sa pisikal na distancing pero tuloy dapat ang social connection. Sa social connection papasok ang pagtutulungan ng bawat miyembro ng pamilya para matagalan ang ECQ. Ito ang panahon ng family bonding.”
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported -0.2% growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2020, marking a significant drop from the 5.7% growth in the same period last year. The National Economics and Development Authority (NEDA) attributed this to the Taal volcano eruption in January, decrease in trade and tourism due to COVID-19 in February, and the eventual lockdown in March.