Robredo vows support for Malasakit Centers if elected president

If elected president, Vice President Leni Robredo said Wednesday that she will expand the government's Malasakit Center program, which aims to provide medical and financial assistance through a one-stop shop.

Robredo made the response when asked what initiatives of the Duterte administration she would continue if she wins in the May 9 elections.

"Top of mind, the Malasakit Centers. It is a very good concept, but I understand the funding comes from [the President's] Social Fund. This should be [funded under a separate item] under the GAA (General Appropriations Act)," she said in a panel interview organized by dzRH.

"Malasakit Centers should be institutionalized kasi para hindi na pahirapan iyong paghingi ng tulong, isang umbrella na lang as far as health is concerned," Robredo added.

(Malasakit Centers should be institutionalized so that asking for government aid will not be difficult anymore, just under one umbrella as far as health is concerned.)

Robredo said the program should be expanded to cover patients in the wards of private hospitals and outpatients.

"As it is, it only covers public hospitals. Those [patients] in [the] wards of private hospitals and even those who are going in for a check up that needs no confinement should also be covered with a bigger budget for this," she added.

In addition, Robredo said that throughout her six-year presidency, she will ensure that job order workers in the government are gradually regularized.

"The number one violator of [the] Labor Code is the government because most government workers are on job order. Under my administration, we will exert all efforts for them to be regularized," she said.

"Hindi ito kakayanin na abrupt, pero papunta tayo sa scenario na wala ng JO (job order)," she added.

(This cannot be done in an abrupt manner, but we aim for a scenario where there will be no job order workers.)

Robredo said that informal sector workers should also be enrolled in the Social Security System and Government Service Insurance System so they can avail of unemployment insurance just like regular workers in the formal sector.

She said that the proposed unemployment insurance would be 80% of the person's monthly salary and would be paid for the first three months of unemployment to tide them over until they found a new job. — VBL, GMA News