Gov't won't be selling assets anytime soon —Avisado

The government will not be selling its properties anytime soon to possibly generate additional funds to boost its COVID-19 response, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said Sunday.

In a Dobol B sa News TV interview, Avisado assured that the government has enough funds to continue its programs to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and although selling of properties is "possible," it is far-fetched at this time.

"Posible pero malayo sa ngayon dahil meron naman tayong pagkukunan at unprecedented nga 'yung ating dollar reserves, talagang lumaki masyado. So wala tayong kaba at hindi na tayo, at this point, kailangan magbenta ng properties," he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte said in April that he would consider selling the assets of the Philippine government if its funds for the fight against COVID-19 and for the assistance to affected Filipinos run out.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno however said Duterte was only joking when he raised the possibility, adding that the country does not need to sell its assets to avail of COVID-19 vaccines.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, meanwhile, said in July that the government would sell its assets to fund the purchase of a vaccine to combat the spread of COVID-19.

In September, Roque said the Philippines would sell its pieces of property in Japan only if necessary.

Avisado said that while there were proposals to sell government assets, the President is not very much inclined to do so at the moment.

"Kaya nga dahan-dahan natin binubuksan ang ekonomiya at makita niyo ang pagbibigay ng mas marami pang paraan ang IATF sa mga activities na kung saan makakapagbalik-sigla sa ating ekonomiya," he said.

For now, Avisado said the government has already identified the funding source for the procurement of a working COVID-19 vaccine, as what the President said last week.

"Tukoy na tukoy na 'yun. Kaya nga sinabi na ng Pangulo na nakahanap na siya ng pondong ilalaan para diyan sa pagbili ng vaccine," he said.

"Tinatayang aabutin siguro ng mga 20 million ang tatargetin natin na mabibigyan ng vaccine kapag 'yan ay naging available na," he added.

Duterte, however, said that ideally all 130 million Filipinos would be given the vaccine against the deadly coronavirus.

He added that the poor will be given the vaccine first using the list from the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. —KG, GMA News