MANILA, Philippines – The recent decision of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) extending the provisional rate increase it granted to the National Power Corporation (Napocor) and Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) is an irresponsible decision at the expense of consumers, according to the Freedom from Debt Coalition.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 February 2010 14:21 )
ADVOCACY group Freedom from Debt Coalition is not convinced that controversies plaguing the power industry are primarily climate-related or mere supply problems.
Amid talks of power failures, impending rate hikes, and Meralco’s overcharging of more than P7-billion, the group insisted that these are failures of the very policy that was enacted to address these problems.
MANILA, Philippines – The proposed 113-meter high Laiban Dam project in Tanay, Rizal is a “monster goldmine” that will bring only unnecessary rate increases to the Metro Manila population while furthering private control over water resources, according to the Freedom from Debt Coalition.
In a joint protest action with various organizations campaigning against the proposed Laiban Dam Project held Wednesday in front of the main office of Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Sytem (MWSS), FDC said that any contract to proceed with the Laiban Dam project would not only be disastrous to the local communities already opposing the proposed project, but would also redound into unprecedented costs for the Metro Manila population within the MWSS’ service area.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 17 February 2010 13:30 )
MANILA, Philippines – In solidarity with the Haitian people, the Freedom from Debt Coalition on Tuesday appealed to the Taiwan government through its representative here to immediately and unconditionally cancel the debt of Haiti which was ravaged by a 7.0 earthquake last January 12 that killed an estimated 200,000 people.
FDC also urged Taiwan government and private banks to follow the bold steps done by the Paris Club and the Venezuelan government on Haiti's debt.
MANILA, Philippines - Warning that the United States and other developed countries may yet again raise earlier proposals for international financial institutions (IFIs) to manage global climate funds in the ongoing United Nations Climate Conference in Copenhagen, cause-oriented groups together with some Ondoy victims storm the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank offices in Ortigas, demanding the banks to keep out of climate negotiations.
Led by the Freedom from Debt Coalition and Climate Exchange (CLIMEX) Pilipinas, the protesters demanded that the two financial institutions must not let their bad climate reputation stain the climate negotiations.
It is undeniable that the Philippines is in crisis. Mainstream economists still debate whether or not the country had actually been resilient enough to survive the global economic recession. Government technocrats still dispute that the massive unpopularity of the Arroyo administration is indicative of the current economic state. But after the onslaught of tropical storms Ondoy, Pepeng, and Santi, there was no more room left for doubt. The Philippines is in crisis. We are in desperate times.
JUBILEE SOUTH
Jubilee South is a network of debt campaigns, social movements, people’s organizations, communities, NGOs and political formations in over 50 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and Asia/Pacific.
YOUTH AGAINST DEBT (YAD)
YAD is a dynamic alignment of different youth and student organizations organized by the Freedom from Debt Coalition with common issues on Debt and Education.
EMPOWER CONSUMERS
EmPower Consumers is a multi-sectoral coalition of electricity consumers in the Philippines.
