HEADLINE: MANILA- ‘Philippine economy in bad shape’
Duterte says we’re losing P2 billion/day as global virus curbs bite hard
The Philippines is “sinking deeper and deeper” and losing P2 billion each day due to restrictions meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday night.
.
“According to the Secretary of Finance, every day until COVID is done, every day we are losing P2 billion that is supposed to be money for the people,” Duterte said in his weekly televised briefing.
.
“The workers, the Filipino workers would have earned that money if our economy was moving,” he added.
.
“So, we are sinking deeper and deeper, but not just us. If it’s not us, it’s everyone.
.
Pero we (in government) are trying our very best to keep us afloat,” Duterte said in Filipino.
.
He said Filipinos should not stress their poverty amid the global pandemic, but instead keep their faith in the government that is moving, through vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, to inoculate the country as soon as possible.
.
“Ang ekonomiya natin, mga kababayan ko, is masama talaga. Biro mo naman, ilan taong walang trabaho? Ilang…
.
The economy of the Philippines is really — is in bad shape. But as I have said, it is not only the Philippines who suffers.
.
We, in the world, are suffering with everybody,” the President said.
.
.
“Huwag naman masyado ninyong idiin ‘yang bayan ninyo na talagang pobre na ganoon kung ganoon.
.
Nabubuhay pa naman tayo.
.
Let us just hope for the best.
The problem is ‘yung bakuna (vaccine),” he added.
.
“So just keep your faith in government, tutal si Galvez ‘yon naman ang trabaho niya.
.
Ako ang trabaho ko, may trabaho — may trabaho kami kanina,” Duterte said.
.
Last week, the National Economic and Development Authority said Filipinos lost P1.4 trillion in 2020 due to the community quarantines.
Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua, as NEDA chief, said the quarantine took away P801 billion worth of spending last year, equivalent to P2.2 billion daily.
.
The losses were estimated at P1.4 to P2.8 billion a day, factoring in the impact on jobs and the multiplier effect.However, the President said the Philippines was not the only country suffering from the pandemic.
.
“So, we cannot do anything. We cannot call upon the heavens to fall on its knees to demand and be ours what is not to be simply ours,” he said, referring to vaccines that richer nations such as those in Europe are moving to secure ahead of the rest of the world.“Do you really want to know what’s happening in our economy?
.
You talk to (Finance Secretary Carlos) Dominguez. Alam mo lahat ng bayan ngayon ng buong mundo bagsak, talagang bagsak,” Duterte said.“Tayo, maganda na sana noong hindi dumating ‘yung COVID we were doing fine. Hindi naman ‘yung very good. We were doing good tapos dumating ‘yung COVID. Walang kita, walang ano,” he added.
It's only fair to share...
