By Vanne Elaine Terrazola Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Tuesday proposed a "one-time, big-time" economic stimulus package to address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy. Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto
(PRIB Photo/Henzberg Austria / MANILA BULLETIN) Recto, a former socio-economic planning secretary, said the economic stimulus plans "should be as big and as bold" as the extent of the COVID-19 pandemic and refrain from coming up with piece-meal measures that will only waste government money and resources. The senator said he prefers a multi-year, omnibus economic stimulus package over one that is funded in parts and through loans. “I would go for the because that is the medicine cabinet approach. Lahat ng kailangan nandoon na (It will contain everything that we need). One arsenal of responses. Hindi 'yung patingi-tingi,” he said. A "one-time, big-time” pandemic response and resiliency package, Recto said, "will spare both Malacañang and Congress from episodic and seasonal” passage of Iaws authorizing new rounds of spending." "Kung hindi komprehensibo (If this is not comprehensive), it creates an ad hoc mentality. If we are digging in for the long run, then we might as well hoard enough resources for the long haul," he added. A long-term plan, likewise, "will convey the comforting message to the nation that there is a long-term response." "We have to give our people hope," Recto said. Recto had earlier said that the economic stimulus package should cost at least P1 trillion. "You don’t use a fire extinguisher to fight a forest fire," he said. The Senate was scheduled on Tuesday to convene as a Committee of the Whole to tackle the government's COVID-19 response and its economic stimulus plans.