‘Recharge PH’ aims to improve Pinoys’ lives: Palace

FILE: A woman sells a face shield for PHP50 on Marikina-Infanta Highway in Cogeo Gate 2, Barangay Bagong Nayon 1 in Antipolo City on Friday (August 7, 2020). (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA – The government’s recovery plan, dubbed as “Recharge PH”, would help Filipinos cope with the crisis brought about by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, Malacañang said on Saturday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the statement after the Social Weather Stations (SWS), in its July 3 to 6 poll, revealed that 36 percent of adult Filipinos believe their quality of life would worsen in the next 12 months.

SWS found that only 26 percent of adult Filipinos are optimistic about life improvement, while 30 percent expect their life to stay the same in the next 12 months.

In a press statement, Roque said the poll results were already anticipated, given that the country is still grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Roque, nevertheless, admitted the number of Filipinos who expect the life to get worse in the next 12 months is “certainly an issue that concerns the administration.“

“The Palace acknowledges that the Covid-19 pandemic and the quarantine restrictions have adversely affected the socioeconomic conditions of our people for the respondents of the survey to have this opinion,” he said.

Roque said Recharge PH would serve as a “whole-of-society” program that aims to help the country recover from the Covid-19 crisis.

“It is for this reason government economists have prepared a whole-of-society program in our recovery plan called Recharge PH to mitigate its impact,” he said.

Recharge PH, formulated by the National Economic and Development Authority, seeks to refocus, sharpen the design, and accelerate the implementation of programs under the 2020 General Appropriations Act to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and reboot the country’s economy.

Roque also noted that the so-called “Ingat Buhay para sa Hanapbuhay (Protect Life for Livelihood)” campaign would be launched to help individuals affected by the temporary shutdown of businesses due to the pandemic.

“Ingat bahay para sa hanapbuhay is our current direction with the gradual opening of industries,” he said.

He said the resumption of the government’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program would also contribute to the country’s fast recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We hope to revitalize the economy and stimulate growth for the betterment of the lives of our people,” Roque said.