Alliance of Filipino Women Gabriela, on Friday, Oct. 28, renewed its call for the suspension of value-added tax on essential goods to help alleviate the suffering of the marginalized sectors amid the “worsening” economic crisis.
“aksi tayong lahat sa kung paano sumirit ang presyo ng mga bilihin natin habang bumaba naman ang halaga ng sinasahod sa atin. Kung tutuusin, kaya po itong aksyunan ni Marcos Jr. (We are all aware of how the price of our goods has increased while the value of our wages has decreased. After all, Marcos Jr. can resolve this),” said Gabriela Secretary-General Clarice Palce.
This, according to Palce, will be solved by temporarily removing the VAT on essential goods such as rice, sugar, oil, and other basic commodities.
“Nariyan na ang solusyon. ananatiling hamon kay Marcos Jr. kung pakikinggan niya tayong mga karaniwang mamamayan (The solution is already there. It remains a challenge to Marcos Jr. if he will listen to us common citizens),” Palce added.
Petition to help solve the crisis
Gabriela, on the same day, laid out a seven-point petition to help the national government solve and address the aforementioned crisis.
Similar to the calls of peasant and fisherfolk groups, Gabriela is pushing for the removal of excise tax on petroleum products and the immediate scrapping of Oil Deregulation Law.
Among other key-points include certifying all proposals for family living wage, such as the National Minimum Wage Bill, as urgent and the provision of cash assistance to the marginalized sectors. The group also supports the goal of boosting local food production, as well as the act of strengthening the public’s “purchasing power.”
The implementation of these measures, as pointed out by Gabriela, will equip all Filipinos in facing the ongoing crisis.