BIRDTALK MIDYEAR 2026. Executive Director Sonny Africa and Research Head Rosario Guzman share their insights on the country's economic situation during IBON Foundation’s Birdtalk Midyear 2026 at UP Diliman.
Jim Caponpon
Despite the World Bank's recent upper-middle-income upgrade, think tank IBON Foundation warns that the country's income classification masks deeper structural weaknesses in employment, inequality, and industrial development
MANILA, Philippines – Ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), IBON Foundation warned that the Philippines’ recent economic upgrade to upper-middle-income (UMIC) status masks the daily struggles of millions of Filipinos, calling the figure detached from reality during its Midyear Birdtalk on Wednesday, July 23 at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
IBON Foundation executive director Sonny Africa described the World Bank classification as a “mere statistical classification,” saying it masks deeper structural problems in employment, inequality, and industrial development.
