Gov’t mitigates Covid-19 impact on most vulnerable sectors

With the country’s most vulnerable sectors reeling from the economic impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Wednesday said the government is pouring all its resources into assisting the sectors in need -- the poor, youth, displaced workers and struggling farmers.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles (File photo)

Speaking at the third Pre-State of the Nation Address (SONA) activity organized as a prelude to the fifth state of the nation address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, Nograles lamented that “as in any natural disaster, it is society’s most vulnerable sectors that have borne the brunt of this pandemic: our farmers, our youth, our poor.”

“Matindi, malawak at masakit ang epekto ng Covid-19. May mga pamilyang di makakain. May mga pamilyang di makakapag-paaral (The impact of Covid-19 is extreme, massive, and painful. Some families do not have food, some cannot send their children to schools),” Nograles said.

Nograles said the government recognizes the problem and this is why Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rolando Bautista emphasized the need for all government agencies to unite and help the Filipinos recover from the impact of the health crisis.

“Malinaw po ito sa ibinuhos na pondo para magbigay ng ayuda at para matulungan ang ating mga

kababayan (This is clearly shown by the funds being allotted by the government to help our countrymen),” he said.

He said Bautista reported that over PHP106 billion from the social amelioration program (SAP) was distributed to more than 19 million lowincome families as the first tranche of financial assistance amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Bukod po dito, naglaan din ng pondo ang gobyerno para sa ating mga manggagawa, mga magsasaka, at mga estudyante (Aside from this, the government has also set aside funds for workers, farmers, and students),” he said.

Nograles cited the 479,000 applications approved by the Social Security System for calamity assistance amounting to PHP7.5 billion.

“To date, it has released PHP1.7 billion to 102,500 borrowers. It has also launched a program for laid-off workers, and since the start of the lockdown, it has already approved 6,300 applications totaling PHP84.4 million. To date, SSS has released PHP76.2 million worth of benefits to 5,740 applicants,” he added.

The Department of Labor and Employment, according to Nograles, has also extended financial aid worth PHP6.4 billion to over 1.18 million displaced employees in the formal and informal sectors of the economy, including returning OFWs. “Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture released cash subsidies to over a million affected farmers and fisherfolk amounting to PHP5 billion,” he added.

He said the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has introduced a new PHP30,000 computer loan program to help its members in light of the shift to distance learning or online classes.

“In addition to this, in September, the GSIS will launch an educational loan program for its members to help them pay tuition and other school fees for their nominated student-beneficiaries,” he added.

Nograles explained that to address the struggles of private schools, private educational institutions can also seek help from the Land Bank of the Philippines’ “study now, pay later” lending program.

He reported that since the program’s launch two months ago, over 80 educational institutions nationwide have expressed interest in accessing this credit facility, and as of the beginning of this month, the bank has approved loan applications totaling PHP260 million.

“Ito ang iilan sa mga hakbang ng gobyerno para matugunan ang pangangailangan ng ating mga naghihirap na kababayan (These are some of the steps the government has taken to meet the needs of our suffering countrymen),” Nograles said. (PR)