Pangilinan reiterates need to buy locally-made PPEs to save jobs, boost economy

Senator Francis Pangilinan on Wednesday reiterated the need to procure locally made personal protective equipment (PPEs) to save jobs and to boost the economy.

In a statement, the lawmaker highlighted the need to pass Senate Bill 1759 or the proposed Pandemic Protection Act.

The said bill, which was filed in August 2020, seeks to exempt from taxes importation of needed materials for the production of PPEs to help lower the cost of production.

The measure also seeks to exempt the local sales of COVID-19-response critical products and services from value-added tax (VAT).

“Crisis is opportunity. Makaka-recover tayo economically, magkakaroon ng trabaho ang marami kung gagamitin natin ang gawa ng sarili nating mga kababayan," Pangilinan said.

(We can recover economically, we can generate jobs if we will use these locally-made products.)

"May pangangailangan para sa PPEs at kayang tugunan ng lokal na industriya. Sinabi na natin 'yan noong una pa, na gamitin natin ang sariling atin para makabangon ulit ang ating ekonomiya," he added.

(There is a need for the PPEs and that can be supplied by the local industry. I already said before that we need to use our own products to recover the economy.)

His call also came after the Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP) asked the government to buy locally-made PPEs as the state asked the garment firms to repurpose its factories for the production of medical grade PPEs.

"We had hoped this will incentivize the government to support local. Maraming pwedeng solusyon. Sana mapunta ang pera ng gobyerno sa lokal na mga manufacturers kaysa mapunta pa sa ibang bansa. Suportahan at bigyan ng trabaho ang ating mga kababayan. We fully support the proposed Senate hearing to look into this matter," Pangilinan said.

(There are many solutions. I hope the government funds will go to local manufacturers instead of other international firms. Let’s support and give our countrymen jobs.)

Senate trade, commerce, and entrepreneurship chairman Koko Pimentel earlier said he will open an inquiry on this matter.

"We urge the government to reconsider and review its procurement program. Pwede namang hindi nawalan ng trabaho ang 3,500 nating kababayan. Sa gitna ng pandemya, kailangang-kailangan ang trabaho,” Pangilinan said.

(We can save the jobs of our 3,500 countrymen. In the midst of the pandemic, we really need jobs.)

In a Senate hearing, local manufacturers of medical-grade PPEs said the government procurement rules have put the locally-made ones at the disadvantage.

Imported yet low-quality PPEs were prioritized by the government as these are cheaper than the ones made locally.—AOL, GMA News