Vice President Leni Robredo is batting for a comprehensive plan to “free” the country from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We arrived at the plan based on the consultations with the experts, sectors, and first and foremost, on what we see on what the Filipinos are going through,” the presidential aspirant said.
Once elected as president, Robredo said she would improve the country’s health-care system by doubling the government’s spending on it from P113 billion or just 0.6% of the country’s gross domestic product, based on the recommendations of the Department of Health in its Philippine Health Facility Development Plan 2020-2040.
Apart from increasing hospital beds nationwide to bring its number closer to that of Singapore’s and Vietnam’s, where there are 2.5 beds and 2.6 beds for every 1,000 people, respectively, the Vice President said there is a need to recruit more health-care workers, purchase more medical equipment, and reorganize medical staff.
She said P216 billion from the national budget must be distributed quickly using the national ID system, and that a stimulus package of P100 billion for small businesses is needed to keep their workers employed.
Robredo said a National Unemployment Insurance Program must also be put up for workers who are laid off to provide 80% of their salary for three months.
