Press Release
May 1, 2021

Gatchalian urges gov't to prevent further job losses; bats for recovery of pandemic-stricken MSMEs

Senator Win Gatchalian said the government should exhaust all means to provide relief to pandemic-hit small businesses and put them back on track to prevent further job losses. He is bent on pushing for the legislation of allowing micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by further lowering the costs of borrowing to encourage them to continue their operations.

A year into the pandemic, the financial impact has seen the loss of jobs of millions of Filipinos. These MSMEs are the backbone of our economy, according to Gatchalian, noting that the said sector accounts for 62.4% of total employment and 99% of the total number of businesses in the country.

"It is disheartening to note that this year's Labor Day celebration will be rendered inconsequential to those who were laid off temporarily or permanently and those receiving lesser pay because of reduced work hours following the coronavirus outbreak," said Gatchalian.

"But we can also look at this year's Labor Day celebration as most relevant as efforts are all geared towards saving businesses and revival of the country's economy," he added.

In the latest figures released last March 30 by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), it showed that unemployment rate slightly increased from 8.7% last January to 8.8% in February this year and this translates to 4.2 million jobless Filipinos in February, some 200,000 higher than the number of those unemployed in January.

Gatchalian said the proposed Government Financial Institution Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economy Recovery (GUIDE) now pending in the Senate seeks to expand loan programs of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) and allows to rediscount loans and other credit accommodations to those MSMEs in the construction, manufacturing, retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, accommodation and food service activities as well as farmers, fisherfolks, and traders, among many others. It also seeks to streamline loan applications to ensure the speedy processing of loans for MSMEs.

"Kailangang paghandaan at pag-aralan nating mabuti ang mga programang ihahain sa mga nawalan ng trabaho. Kung bibigyan sila ng ayuda, mas mabuting hindi lang pantawid sa pangkasalukuyang pangangailangan kundi trabahong masasandalan nila ng pangmatagalan, may pandemya man o wala," he emphasized.

# # #

Panawagan ni Gatchalian: pigilan ang paglobo ng bilang ng nawawalan ng trabaho; tulungan ang MSMEs

Upang mapigilan ang paglobo ng bilang ng mga nawawalan ng trabaho sa bansa, sinabi ni Senador Win Gatchalian na dapat gawan ng paraan ng gobyerno kung papaano matutulungan ang mga maliliit na negosyong apektado ng pandemya.

Isinusulong ni Gatchalian ang pagpasa ng batas na mag-uudyok sa mga micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) na umutang sa government banks upang makapagpatuloy sila sa operasyon ng kanilang mga negosyo.

Isang taon magmula nang magkapandemya, milyong-milyong Pilipino ang nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa dumaraming naluluging kumpanya at negosyo. Ang mga MSMEs, ani Gatchalian, ang nagtataguyod ng ekonomiya ng bansa dahil ang mga maliliit na kumpanya ang kumakatawan sa 99% ng lahat ng negosyo at 62.4% ng mga kabuuang manggagawa ay galing sa sektor na ito.

"Napakahirap isipin na ginugunita natin ngayong taon ang Labor Day na maraming nawalan ng trabaho at ang iba naman ay nabawasan ng sahod dahil nakaltasan ang oras nila sa trabaho gawa ng coronavirus outbreak," sabi ni Gatchalian.

"Pero sa isang banda, maaari nating ikonsidera na makahulugan ang selebrasyon ng Labor Day ngayong taon dahil masigasig ang lahat na magpursige kung paano maisalba ang negosyo at pasiglahin ang ekonomiya ng bansa," dagdag pa ng senador.

Sa pinakahuling tala ng Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) na inilabas noong Marso 30, bahagyang tumaas sa 8.8% o 4.2 milyon noong Pebrero ang bilang mga mga nawalan ng trabaho mula 8.7% o 4 na milyon noong Enero.

Ayon kay Gatchalian ang panukalang Government Financial Institution Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economy Recovery (GUIDE) na kasalukuyang pinag-aaralan sa Senado ay naglalayong mapalawak ang pautang ng Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) at Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) sa mga MSMEs at kasama rin dito rediscounting of loans at iba pang credit accommodations. Prayoridad ng panukalang batas ang mga MSMEs na nasa construction, manufacturing, retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, accommodation and food service activities at iba pang sektor tulad ng magsasaka at mangingisda. Layon din nito na paikliin ang loan application procedure para sa mga MSMEs upang mas mabilis ang pagproseso sa kanilang loan application

"Kailangang paghandaan at pag-aralan nating mabuti ang mga programang ihahain sa mga nawalan ng trabaho. Kung bibigyan sila ng ayuda, mas mabuting hindi lamang pantawid sa pangkasalukuyang pangangailangan kundi trabahong masasandalan nila ng pangmatagalan, may pandemya man o wala," diin ni Gatchalian.

# # #

News Latest News Feed