Opposition senators on Wednesday said the Duterte government’s primary interest now should be to institute mechanisms that would help the poor cope with the high inflation and the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the “primary concern should be to protect the poorest and the most vulnerable sectors of the economy” at this point in time.
“We must throw a lifeline to the poor who are having difficulties coping with the effects of the pandemic and inflation,” Drilon said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, the 2021 national budget provides too little for the poor,” the minority leader lamented.
On Monday night, President Duterte acknowledged that the Philippine’s economy is in “bad shape” and is “sinking deeper and deeper,” losing P2-billion a day due to the COVID-19.
Duterte’s pronouncement comes a day after state economic managers announced that the country’s economy suffered a worse economic contraction post World War II of 9.5 percent in 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic.
Inflation in the country, Drilon noted, continues to rise as it is further aggravated by the typhoons that hit the country in the last quarter of 2020.
“The people would want to see a clear plan to address our worsening economic situation…failure to address it will create more serious problems: high crimes, extreme poverty, hunger and joblessness,” he pointed out.
He also said there is also a need for the government to improve its COVID-19 pandemic response, citing the findings of Australia-based think tank Lowy Institute that ranked the Philippines at 79thout of 98 countries in terms of its capability to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is also a necessity for the state to be aggressive in addressing red tape and corruption in the country, the lawmaker reiterated.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros echoed Drilon’s call saying it is imperative for the govenrment to provide “life vests” to those who need saving in the midst of the pandemic.
“Kung lumulubog na, hindi ba’t dapat abutan na ng life vest para iligtas? Pare-parehong bagsak ang ekonomiya ng ibang mga bansa, pero Pilipinas ang makakaranas ng pinakamahabang kalbaryo (If the economy is sinking, shouldn’t we be throwing life vests to save people? All economies around the world are suffering, but it is only the Philippines that is experiencing a long Calvary),” Hontiveros lamented.
She said the sudden lack of jobs and limited employment would have been addressed had the government heeded the call to provide more funds for the healthcare sector amid the crisis.
“Hindi dapat ganito katindi ang pagbagsak ng ekonomiya kung nakinig sa mga panawagang gastusan ang programa sa agrikultura (Our economy wouldn’t be in this bad shape if the government heeded our call to spend for programs on agriculture), hospital expansion, digital transformation and (Internet) connectivity),” she pointed out.
“Ito sana ang titiyak na mababawi natin ang pagbagsak ng private investments sa high-contact economic sectors at magbabalik sa kabuhayan ng mga Pilipino (This could have helped us recover private investments in high-contact economic sectors and recover jobs for Filipinos),” Hontiveros lamented.
“Huwag naman sanang hayaang umabot pa sa ‘Abandon Ship’ (I hope this doesn’t lead us to give up and abandon ship),” the lawmaker said.