COVID-19 vs. Duterte Administration

The COVID-19 pandemic affected almost all of the worldwide economy. Millions of people are experiencing extreme poverty and severe economic and social disruption. Almost all of the nations are struggling and fighting on how to save and recover from the pandemic. In the present time, according to WorldoMeters, the Philippines ranks 21 with most cases of coronavirus. Filipinos are facing a global health crisis and this must be resolved by the government and must take action to this critical and social economic impact.

President Rodrigo Duterte loans money for rehabilitation of the Philippine economy. According to the INQUIRER.NET, The Philippines will borrow a total of P6 trillion in 2020 and 2021 to finance higher spending to address the COVID-19 crisis. In 2010, the Philippine's debt-to-GDP rose to fifty percent and if this will be attained in 2020 and 2021 it will rise to 58.8 percent. The debt-to-GDP of the Philippines will reflect the country’s ability to pay its obligations and duty worldwide. The 6 trillion debt affects all of the public and private sectors of the Philippines, but most of the Filipinos cannot feel and benefit from that loan. Filipinos being in debt is such a burden especially to the younger generation.

PRESIDENT DUTERTE SHOULD’VE KEPT HIS PROMISE AND GAVE ALL THE FILIPINOS THE EMERGENCY SUBSIDIES—AID TO ALL WHO NEEDED HELP. Duterte promised and wanted to give the Filipino emergency funds and millions of Filipino families took his word hoping that it would arrive on time. According to the news report of rappler, the government’s emergency subsidy program (ESP) was created under the now-expired Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which promised cash aid of P5,000 to P8,000 to 18 million poor families a month for two months. The government had P200 billion to spend on it. Yes, the emergency funds were given but in a span of 2 months NOT all Filipinos received the money. A lot of shortcomings happened, some did not receive the emergency fund because some “did not have the coupon”. The management from the regions, municipalities, and barangays were imperfect and had unclear communication.

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD’VE FOCUSED ON THE FILIPINO WHO ARE GREATLY AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC. White sand in Manila Bay for Filipinos' mental health is a threat to marine life. The 389 million project is for the rehabilitation and beautification of Manila Bay. This project says that the Philippines will benefit from this because this will become a tourist spot and for betterment of Filipinos’ mental health. The Philippine Department of Environmental and Natural Resources lacked public consultation phase and needed necessary environmental studies. This project did not just destroy a mountain from Cebu—the source of crushed dolomite sand—the artificial sand but it also affected the marine life in the Manila Bay. The studies say that Dolomite can harm the species and the water quality. Fishes die off and red tide alerts were raised due to algal blooms. This project is irrelevant and a waste of money. This rehabilitation and beautification program became a distraction to Filipinos, exposed the government’s corruption, and an ecological harm in which it is inappropriate in these times of the pandemic.   

INSTEAD, the Government should have come up with a clear and suitable plan for restoration of the Philippine economy. They should have laid out the plans and became transparent with the people. The officials should have focused on implementing the laws and on the needs of the Filipinos.

SOURCES:

Vera, B. O. (2020, August 7). PH to borrow P6 trillion in 2020-2021 amid higher COVID-19 spending, weak revenues | Inquirer Business. INQUIRER.Net. https://business.inquirer.net/304596/ph-to-borrow-p6-trillion-in-2020-2021-amid-higher-covid-19-spending-weak-revenues#ixzz6cN3mQOfq

Coronavirus Update (Live): 46,052,730 Cases and 1,195,929 Deaths from COVID-19 Virus Pandemic - Worldometer. (n.d.). Worldometer. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/?utm_campaign=homeAdvegas1?

Abad, M. (2020, July 15). 3 months after lockdown, poor Filipinos still hungry waiting for cash aid. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/filipinos-still-hungry-waiting-for-cash-aid-july-2020