Poe to govt: Include informal sector workers in coronavirus economic relief plan

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday urged the government to include members of the informal sector workforce in the implementation of its programs to cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the country.

In a statement, Poe reminded the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infections Disease, which is now handling the coronavirus crisis, that members of the informal economy “are now more vulnerable than ever.”

“’Yung mga nangongolekta ng basura, nagbebenta ng taho at fishball, pati na rin ang mga tricycle at jeepney drivers, street-sweepers at construction workers–sila ang pinaka tatamaan ng enhanced community quarantine,” she said.

(Garbage collectors, street food vendors, tricycle and jeepney drivers, street-sweepers and construction workers-they are the ones who are greatly affected enhanced community quarantine).

“Kung hindi sila makakapagtrabaho ay wala rin silang ipapakain sa kanilang pamilya,” she pointed out.

(If they cannot work, they will also not be able to feed their families)

Poe issued the call after the country’s economic team said the government has prepared a P27.1-billion package to aid frontliners in containing the spread of the disease and also to provide economic relief to those sectors affected by the pandemic.

The senator stressed that families of informal sector workers should also be among the beneficiaries of food packs and relief assistance to aid them amid the outbreak.

Poe cited data from the Philippine Statistics Authority which showed that approximately 650,000 Filipinos are engaged in low-paying jobs in the informal sector and they contribute around P5.013 trillion to the economy or around one-third of the country’s gross domestic product growth.

“They have given so much to the Philippine economy, yet they are not covered by social security. It’s only fair that they are given adequate assistance during this difficult period,” she said.

Meanwhile, Senator Francis Pangilinan called on the government to ensure that goods and services are delivered especially to poor families in need of food, clean water, medicine, and other essential supplies.

He said the government should consider buying food items for relief operations from local farmers.

“This should not be hard with adequate production of rice, vegetables, and other agricultural products by Filipino farmers. Otherwise, they will go to waste and rot away due to the lockdown,” Pangilinan said in a separate statement.

He noted that under Republic Act 1132 or the “Sagip Saka Act,” government entities are mandated to directly purchase agricultural and fisheries products from local farmers and fisherfolk enterprises.

“For supplies for its feeding programs such as rice, fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products, local government units, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and other concerned agencies, may directly deal with farmers and fisherfolk, eliminating middlemen who usually pad prices,” Pangilinan said.

On Monday night, President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire island of Luzon under “enhanced community quarantine” as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue to rise in the country.

The Department of Health (DOH) has so far recorded 142 COVID-19 cases in the country.

Of this number, 12 have died while three patients have recovered from the disease.

COVID-19 is now considered by the World Health Organization as a pandemic. It has infected more than 160,000 people and killed 6,000 in over 140 different countries and territories, including China where the virus had originated.

Edited by MUF