Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Thursday, July 7 expressed his belief it is high-time that the government should also prioritize coming up with a cash subsidy scheme for low to medium income class workers who are also reeling from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, series of oil price hikes, and high inflation rates.
Dela Rosa noted it is not only the poorest of the poor who are heavily impacted by the recent price increases, but also the middle class.
“Dapat hindi tayo masyadong mapili dahil lahat naman tayo tinamaan ng pandemiya. Oil price hike affected all sectors, kung kayang i-cover ng gobyerno, dapat meron (We should not be too selective when it comes to giving financial aid because all of us were hit by the pandemic. The oil price hike also affected all sectors. So if the government can cover the middle class, they should also be given subsidy),” dela Rosa said in an interview with reporters.
“Sa totoo lang nga (the truth is), they are feeding the economy. Nagbabayad ng taxes, nagta-trabaho, minsan yung nasa baba, pinakababa yung, iba dun hindi nag ta trabaho. Maging rational tayo sa pagbibigay ng ayuda (they pay taxes, they work, and sometimes those who are so poor, not all are working. Let’s be rational when it comes to giving subsidy),” the senator said.
Nevertheless, he said it is up to the government to decide if the cash subsidy should cover the middle class.
“Ako, hangga’t kaya to mitigate the impact, kasi sobrang taas. Dahil nga dun sa gyera. Kung hangga’t kaya ibigay natin...just to mitigate the impact. Abrupt kasi eh (For me, I am in favor of that just to mitigate the impact, because the prices are so high. Precisely because of the war. If the government can give it...just to mitigate the impact. The increases were abrupt),” he said.
At the same time, dela Rosa said he finds returning Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s bill seeking to institutionalize the P10,000 cash aid or the “10K Ayuda Bill” actually very noble.
Dela Rosa said the intention of Cayetano’s bill is “really good” and hopes that the government can find the necessary resources to fund the program should it pass into law.
“We will defer to the wisdom of our economic managers. But the intention of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano's bill is napakaganda (very noble). Ako rin mismo, kung kaya, ibigay yan (I would also support it, if it’s possible, let’s give it),” he said.
“Pero pag sinabi ng ating economic managers di kaya dun ako kakampi sa kanila. Maging practical tayo pagdating dyan. Pero yung rationale behind that, napakaganda niyan, very noble. Sana matutupad yan (But I will side with our economic managers. Whatever they say I will side with them. We need to be practical on that matter. But the rationale behind that bill is really good, very noble. I hope it would be fulfilled,” the lawmaker stressed.