MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Saturday said that results of a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that showed 36 percent of working-age Filipinos being pessimistic on the improvement of their quality of life within the next 12 months “is an issue that concerns the Duterte administration.”
In a statement, Palace spokesperson Harry Roque said the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as the quarantine restrictions imposed in parts of the Philippines, “adversely affected the socio-economic conditions affected the socioeconomic conditions” of the people, and led to the results of the survey.
It was in mid-March when the government imposed lockdown measures due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. The previously imposed enhanced community quarantine led to the temporary closure of non-essential businesses.
In June, lockdown restrictions were eased in most areas of the country. But from Aug. 4-18, Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna were placed under modified enhanced community quarantine as COVID-19 cases surged.
Roque’s statement comes as the recent SWS survey showed that 36 percent of Filipinos were pessimistic, while 30 percent said they expect their quality of life to remain the same. The remaining 26 percent meanwhile, were optimistic that their quality of life will improve in the next 12 months.
Because of the recession of the socioeconomic conditions, Roque said that the government has prepared a “whole-of-society program in our recovery plan called Recharge PH to mitigate its impact.”
Previously, acting socioeconomic planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) was spearheading the task force on COVID-19 recovery through the “Recharge PH” program.
“The government will focus on rebalancing its priorities from saving lives from just the COVID-19 virus to saving lives from COVID-19 and other factors, such as hunger and other diseases,” Chua said.
“Ingat buhay para sa hanapbuhay (safeguards to life for the livelihood) is our current direction with the gradual opening of industries, such as the resumption of our Build, Build, Build program, including the build-up of the country’s health system capacity and preparing for new normal through digital transformation, we hope to revitalize the economy and stimulate growth for the betterment of the lives of our people,” Roque said.