Former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano urged the government to prepare a ‘reliable’ and sustainable economic plan that would aid the country in its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“After one year, hindi mo pwedeng sabihin na pantawid na lang. Kailangan na natin ng programa na akma talaga at maasahan ng ating mga kababayan,” Cayetano said in an interview with a local radio station in Cagayan de Oro on April 20.
(After one year, we can’t still have stop-gap measures. We need programs that are appropriate and on which our citizens can rely.)
He said the currently proposed P100 billion budget for cash aid under Bayanihan 3, or the proposed P500 billion budget for the economic stimulus itself, are not sufficient, especially in contrast with the budgets allocated by our neighbor countries for their respective COVID-19 responses.
“Extraordinary ‘yung problema, hindi puwedeng hindi extraordinary ‘yung solusyon. Kailangan natin ng isang economic recovery plan na maasahan,” he said.
(Extraordinary problems require extraordinary solutions. We need to have a reliable economic recovery plan.)
Asked how the national government can work with different groups to encourage the public to continue following the minimum standard health protocol and in creating an integrated economic plan, Cayetano said the national government must consult the local government units.
“Isa lang parati naming hinihingi sa national government: makinig kayo sa amin,” the Taguig-Pateros Representative said.
(We’ve been constantly asking the national government for only one thing: listen to us.)
Cayetano said while LGUs are usually consulted and included in the planning stage, they are often left out by the national government when it comes to the implementation stage.
“Kailangan baguhin natin ‘yan, kasi kung hindi, parating ‘Ano ba, uunahin ba natin ‘yung health o uunahin natin ‘yung kabuhayan?’ Eh magkaugnay ‘yang dalawang ‘yan,” he said.
(We have to change that because unless we do, we will always be asking, ‘What should be prioritize, health or livelihood?’ But those two things are interlocked.)