Pangilinan: Provide more jobs, increase COVID testing

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Sunday, Father's Day, called on the government to provide jobs for unemployed Filipinos, especially fathers, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In an emailed statement, Pangilinan cited the supposed lack of plans to address the health crisis, and said that the basic needs of ordinary Filipinos remain ignored.

"Dapat sana ay masaya ang Father’s Day, pero sa harap ng pandemya at sa makupad, kulang, at palpak na pagharap ng gobyerno sa problemang ito, patong-patong ang hirap at pasakit na nararamdaman ng maraming Pilipino, kabilang na ang mga tatay," he said.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) earlier this month reported an umemployment rate of 17.7% in April, reflecting an increase of 5 million jobless Filipinos to 7.3 million.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III countered the PSA's figures, claiming there were only 69,000 unemployed Filipinos during the period.

Bello's claims were refuted by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the country’s largest business organization, which noted that its members alone reported a total of 3.5 million unemployed Filipinos.

"Merong mga magsasaka na nakipagsapalaran dito sa Metro Manila para maging construction worker pero naabutan ng lockdown at ngayon ay stranded dito at gusto nang umuwi sa probinsya, kung saan kahit papaano ay may makakain," said Pangilinan.

"Hirap na hirap ang mga tatay (at nanay) sa kakaisip paano mapapakain ang mga anak. Nasasaid na ang mga savings ng nawalan ng trabaho," he added.

In the same statement, Pangilinan also flagged the lack of testing for the coronavirus disease, three months after quarantines were first imposed.

"Hanggang ngayon, walang malinaw na plano at aksyon sa pagsugpo ng pandemya, na sabi ng World Health Organization ay nasa isang ‘new, dangerous phase’ ngayon," he said.

"Pero sa kabila nito, kulang pa rin ang testing at contact tracing para sana maipagpatuloy na ang paghahanap-buhay ng milyong-milyong nawalan ng pagkakakitaan dahil sa lockdown," added Pangilinan.

Locally, there have been a total of 30,052 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Sunday, June 21, 2020. This includes 7,893 recoveries and 1,169 deaths. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News