Finance Assistant Secretary Antonio Joselito Lambino III
MANILA – The government is now studying how it can further help people affected by the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine as the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) continues.
During the Laging Handa (Always Prepared) briefing aired over government-owned Philippine Television Network (PTV) Friday, Finance Assistant Secretary Antonio Joselito Lambino III said the government has the funds to finance its expenditure program for this year despite the challenges posed by the quarantine.
Aside from the PHP27.1-billion stimulus package for the affected sectors and workers bared a few days back, he said “a study is being made to check what additional services and benefits we can give.”
He, however, did not elaborate.
In a reply to questions from the Philippine News Agency, Lambino declined to give details about the study regarding the additional benefits and services in line with measures to address the economic impact of the global health pandemic.
“The IATF TWG (Inter-Agency Task Force Technical Working Group) on social amelioration is reviewing the options,” he said.
During the briefing, Lambino said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has a program for workers belonging to the informal sector who are affected by the quarantine.
He said DOLE is offering manual labor jobs like being part of the disinfection activities and the workers will be paid based on minimum wage.
Lambino said the goal is to protect the frontliners and ensure the continued investments in both the people and the economy to allow for a smooth return to normalcy once the current health situation is over.
“Tuloy-tuloy po dapat ang investment ng gobyerno para after the quarantine is lifted ay maka-ahon po ang ating economiya (Government investments should continue so that once the quarantine has been lifted, the economy can recover),” he added. (PNA)
