Freedom from Debt Coalition

17/08/2026

LIVE: Political Beat Interview with FDC President Dr. Rene Ofreneo regarding the National Government's Debt Situation

17/08/2026

ROLE OF THE STATE IN MANAGING THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR:
CASE OF THE PHILIPPINES VIS-A-VIS SINGAPORE AND MALAYSIA
by Dr. Rene Ofreneo

It is difficult to imagine modern society surviving and progressing toward higher and higher levels without electricity. Electricity fuels the growth of industry, commerce, agriculture, and the various sectors and sub-sectors of the economy. The absence of electricity consigns poor households and communities to economic backwardness and poverty. Shortfalls in electricity supply disrupt economic activities, including the delivery of vital services such as health, education, and so on. Without electricity, some countries in the developing world would not have achieved rapid industrial growth. For example, Vietnam, with 50 percent electrification in 1995, reached 93 percent electrification in 2004 (ADB 2015) and has become the newest Asian industrial tiger today.

Read More:
https://sites.google.com/fdcphils.org/roleofthestateinesector/home

https://elloise.my.canva.site/roleofthestateelectricitysector

05/08/2026

FREEDOM FROM DEBT COALITION PRESIDENT RENE OFRENEO SOUNDS ALARM ON PHILIPPINE DEBT CYCLE

Freedom from Debt Coalition President Dr. Rene Ofreneo raised deep concerns over the country’s six-decade dependence on foreign and domestic borrowing, urging a structural shift from yearly debt accumulation toward active debt reduction. Speaking on , Dr. Ofreneo noted that while the national debt-to-GDP ratio had improved to roughly 39% in 2019, massive government spending during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021 pushed the ratio up to 60%. He highlighted that despite regular annual payments made toward principal and interest balances, total national debt continues to swell.

05/08/2026

NEWS: FDC FLAGS MARCOS SONA FOR OMITTING DEBT BURDEN

WITH President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. omitting the increasing debt in his fifth State of the Nation Address, the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) warned that burden became a “ticking time bomb” amid a faltering pace in the economy’s growth. During a recent news briefing, the coalition’s le...

04/08/2026

ICYMI: At its 2026 State of the People Address (SOPA) last July 31, 2026, the Freedom from Debt Coalition strongly criticized Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for failing to address these severe fiscal risks in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

FDC strongly criticized President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for completely omitting the country's severe fiscal risks from his fifth State of the Nation Address.

The coalition revealed that the administration is failing to confront the harsh economic realities of continued borrowing. This critical fiscal oversight occurs as the economy falls significantly short of official growth targets, trapping ordinary citizens in a cycle of structural poverty. # # #

30/07/2026

Lumipas na naman ang opisyal na State of the Nation Address (SONA) ni Pangulong Marcos Jr., ngunit nananatiling bingi ang administrasyon sa totoong hinaing ng ordinaryong Pilipino.

Muling ipinarada ni Marcos Jr. ang kanyang mga huwad na tagumpay at mabulaklak na tokenismo. Ngunit sa likod ng mga magagarbong kanyang pangako, patuloy ang pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin, paglubog ng bansa sa dambuhalang utang, at kawalan ng nakabubuhay na sahod at regular na trabaho.

Sama-sama nating ilatag ang tunay na adyenda ng mamamayan: makatarungang sahod, sapat na serbisyong panlipunan para sa kababaihan at mamamayan, wakasan ang pribatisasyon, at kanselahin ang ilehitimong utang na patuloy na kumikitil sa buhay ng ordinaryong Pilipino!

Magkita-kita po tayo bukas…
Sa State of the People Address.
Ala-10 ng umaga sa Max’s Restaurant, Elliptical Rd, Quezon City

17/07/2026

LOOK: Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) and AHF Philippines warn against the country's dangerous debt dependency as the national debt hits a record ₱18.55 trillion.

During the Freedom from Debt Kapihan, July 14, 2026 in Quezon City, FDC and AHF discussed how excessive debt servicing actively crowds out essential funding for healthcare, and social protection. # #

16/07/2026

FDC Secretary General Rovik "Obanil, however, claimed that the government seems to use borrowing as a crutch to source funds, with Filipinos suffering the brunt “through taxes and poor healthcare and social services.”

“Debt accountability is really important. There are policies that should be implemented to ensure that the borrowed money is used to improve the economy,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

THE Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) warned that the ballooning national debt, which surged to a record P18.55 trillion as of end-May, could trigger another debt crisis. In a joint press conference ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State on the Nation Address (Sona), the FDC and AIDS Heal...

15/07/2026

Binigyang-diin ni Freedom from Debt Coalition Sec. Gen. Rovik Obanil na kailangan ng mas matibay na accountability at transparency mechanism sa debt management ng bansa dahil ang mga Pilipino rin ang magbabayad ng pambansang utang sa pamamagitan ng buwis.

Dagdag ni Obanil, sakaling humantong ang bansa sa debt crisis, posibleng mag-spiral ang economy tulad ng nangyari noong 1980s.