Although saddened by the loss of jobs brought about by the health crisis, Malacañang on Monday expressed admiration for the resiliency of the Filipino workers.
“Ako po ay nagagalak na hindi tayo 100% nawalan ng trababo dahil sa tagal po na naka-lockdown tayo. Talagang I’m still surprised at our resilience at 45% pa lang po ang nawawalan ng trabaho. It could have been worse (I am glad that we did not fully lose our jobs due to the long duration of the lockdown. I am still surprised by our resilience and only 45 percent lost their jobs. It could have been worse),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.
“I personally belong to the school of thought na (that) we can live with COVID, we need to learn how to live with COVID. At ilulunsad na nga rin po natin ang ating kampanya na Ingat-buhay para sa Hanapbuhay (And we will soon launch our Ingat Buhay Para sa Hanapbuhay [Care for Life, for Livelihood] campaign),” he added.
The recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results showed that adult unemployment in the country increased to 45.5 percent. The SWS said it is a “28-point increase” from the December 2019 rating of 17.5 percent and a “new record-high” since the 34.4 percent in March 2012.
Sec. Harry Roque said the government is now addressing the problems concerning the livelihood of many Filipinos. Included in the Bayanihan 2 is the granting of assistance to small and medium enterprises and to other industries to help them recover and provide more jobs. – Report from Mela Lesmoras
