Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday called on the government to immediately provide relief to all sectors affected by the recent oil price hikes by releasing financial assistance to affected individuals.
The government is currently reviewing measures to aid the transportation sector, which was hit hard by successive increases in the price of oil stemming from the ongoing war in the Ukraine, measures that include fare hikes, subsidies for public transport drivers, and raising the minimum wage.
She said the government could give assistance right away since it only needed executive action.
In addition, the presidential aspirant said the solutions should be mindful of economic realities and ensure maximum benefit to the public.
Robredo said the government had no other explicit means of subsidy apart from the “ayuda” or Social Amelioration Program, had not made up its mind on suspending the excise tax on fuels to bring down oil prices, and noted it was not enough for agencies to assess the current minimum wage to cushion the blow of rising inflation”.
Robredo was in Romblon on Wednesday and met with teachers and schoolchildren at the Community Learning Hub in Barangay Tugdan in Alcantara.
The Office of the Vice President (OVP) established Community Learning Hubs in different parts of the country during the pandemic so that students can have access to gadgets and wi-fi connections, as well as have tutors, after schools shifted to distance learning.
She also met with the Romblon Fisherfolks Association of Looc (ROMFALO) with whom she shared her platform on agriculture and fisheries.
Robredo said that farmers and fisherfolk have long been burdened by high costs of inputs for the past years. They were thankful just to break even with their harvests but had been complaining about their situation for at least the last two years, she noted.
Robredo also expressed her approval of current initiatives to review the minimum wage but said that the side of employers must also be heard as they would also be affected by the measure.