Vice President Leni Robredo addressed the public today, July 29, to discuss the current state of the nation amid the pandemic. Relaying facts and learnings from medical experts, frontliners and underserved communities including those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic and locally-stranded individuals (LSIs), Robredo gave her recommendations on how to handle the pandemic after five months of battling the virus.
Fix COVID-19 data
The Vice President believed that if data for COVID-19 numbers and findings are more organized and quick, government decisions, policies and programs can be implemented more quickly as well. Otherwise, if data is inaccurate and slow, verification and decision-making processes will also be hindered.
[READ: DOH just released COVID stats for July 12 today. What took them so long?]“Marami nang mga eksperto ang naglabas ng iba’t ibang platform para maging repository ng datos. Ang kailangang gawin, piliin ang pinakamainam dito, at gumawa ng isang ecosystem ng pagtugon kung saan standard ang pagka-sentralisado,” she said.
She also added that the data for the Social Amelioration Program must be organized in accordance with the country’s poverty statistics and COVID-19 data.
Improve communications
Robredo recommended a communications campaign where healthcare officials themselves verify that the data given to the government is accurate. She also added that universities and other academic institutions should help in the validation process of the Department of Health (DOH).
“Maraming gustong tumulong, pero may mga pagkukulang sa volunteer management process,” she said, also mentioning that those willing to help must immediately be listed and referred to the corresponding unit.
Unified processes
“[S]iguruhing mabilis ang turnover time ng mga COVID-19 tests. Alamin kung bakit nagkakabacklog, kung saang mga laboratoryo ito nagaganap, at tulungan silang makahabol,” she said. In this way, contact tracing will also be more convenient especially if there is a standard and unified process that all local government units must follow.
Private sectors with donations should also create a unified strategy to hasten the overall response from the public. With this, concerns and problems with bureaucratic processes will be avoided.
Safety for LSIs
Locally stranded individuals should be given free swab tests before traveling, Robredo recommended. Designated areas with strict health protocols must also be provided for them to stay in while waiting for transportation to avoid difficulties and risk of contamination.
“Dagdag pa rito, kailangan ding tutukan at bigyang-lakas ang mga LGU para pag-uwi ng mga LSI, magkakaroon sila ng maayos na pagkakakitaan,” she said. “Puwede itong gawin through cash-for-work programs na partikular para sa mga LSI.”
Support for hospitals and healthcare workers
The healthcare system should give priority to hospitals by ensuring equitable and systemized distribution of resources, according to Robredo. This comes after many hospitals in the country have declared full capacity. Likewise, healthcare workers assigned to the COVID-19 ward should also be given mental health counselling and justifiable pay.
Safety nets for the economy
“Dadami ang mga dadanas ng kahirapan, dadami ang hindi makakaambag sa nation-building, tatagal ang biyahe patungo sa katuparan ng mga pangarap natin. Magkakaugnay ang kapalaran ng bawat Pilipino,” Robredo said.
To help the economy and those who have lost their livelihoods, Robredo proposed the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Bill which aims to lower taxes of some companies to encourage more investments. Additionally, she is also pushing for the Accelerated Recovery and Investments Stimulus for the Economy of the Philippines (ARISE) Bill which aims to provide funds for wage subsidies from the Department of Labor and Employment. Tax incentives for companies giving aid to employees affected by the pandemic were also recommended.
Support businesses and employees
Robredo also encouraged private sectors to provide strict safety protocols for their employees if they are not working from home. If there is too much risk in working on-site, operations should be suspended or workers should be transferred to low-risk jobs instead.
Additionally, the government and the public should support local businesses amid the pandemic.
[READ: VP Robredo to gov’t: Stop importing PPEs, support local producers]“Siguruhing matutulungang makabangon muli ang mga nagsarang negosyo, o di kaya mag-engganyo ng pagbubukas ng bago; palakasin ang mga ito, para makalikha ng trabaho. Tiyak kong alam ng mga economic managers ang mga hakbang para magawa ito: I-empower ang mga MSMEs. Tutukan ang mga key industries tulad ng agriculture,” Robredo said.
Ensure inclusive education
In line with the issue of education amid the pandemic, Robredo proposes that each barangay must have an internet hub for students without gadgets, and most especially, prioritize those who cannot afford these educational resources. She added that underserved places with low community COVID transmission should be allowed limited face-to-face classes.
Teachers must also be given training to meet the demands of the newly implemented distance learning. Modules must be prepared for homeschooling, as well as a weekly or monthly curriculum in the case of parents opting to teach their children.
[READ: #NoStudentLeftBehind is a call for inclusivity, not an excuse for laziness]Robredo even took into consideration those with family members who passed away due to COVID-19. To this, she said that a scholarship program for the children who were left behind should be implemented in order to alleviate the pressures of hospital debts and other expenses.
“Malinaw sa akin, hindi pasaway ang Pilipino, kundi laging handang tumulong sa kapwa. Hindi inutil ang Pilipino, kundi may tapang at talino na humarap sa anumang hamon. Hindi talunan ang Pilipino,” Robredo said. “At tiyak na magtatagumpay tayo laban sa pandemyang ito.”
Header photo screengrabbed from VP Leni Robredo Facebook Videos
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