On the Economic Hardship of Filipino Workers
June 13, 2021Latest figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the country’s unemployment rate rose to 8.7 percent in April 2021 which translates to 4.14 million jobless Filipinos, a significant increase from the 7.1 percent in March.
This alarming data was said to be brought about by the increase in lockdowns throughout the country with reported spikes in COVID-19 cases, another blow to the country’s economy just after inflation rate was reported to be uneased at 4.5 percent in the same month.
It has been 15 months since Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) was first implemented in the country, and despite the on-going immunization programs, the Philippine government still has a very long way to go before it can proclaim that the country is genuinely on the road to recovery.
CitizenWatch Philippines calls on both the public and the private sector to collaborate in addressing the issue on unemployment. Aside from solving the issues on health, it is equally imperative that the livelihoods of our countrymen not only be safeguarded but also fostered.
The government must also refrain from enacting laws and promulgations that will only increase the burden of local producers and consumers such as the lowering of tariffs and increasing the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) of imported rice and pork, as well as the imposition of additional or heavier income and value added taxes.