Liza Soberano asks: Where is gov’t support for poor families in PH?

By: Gabriel Pabico Lalu - 4 years ago

Image: Facebook/@GabrielaYouthPH

MANILA, Philippines — Actress Liza Soberano wants to know where the government support is for poor families during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Soberano posted this query on Twitter on Monday, saying: “My heart bleeds for all the people who cannot afford not to go out and work. They literally have to choose between dying of starvation or dying of Covid. Is our country really this poor to no be able to provide stimulus?? Genuine question lang po.”

My heart bleeds for all the people who cannot afford not to go out and work. They literally have to choose between dying of starvation or dying of covid. Is our country really this poor to no be able to provide stimulus?? Genuine question lang po.

— Liza Soberano (@lizasoberano) March 22, 2021

Soberano then compared the Philippines to the United States, which is set to give its third wave of stimulus packages amid the restrictions due to the pandemic.

Soberano also mentioned that several of the COVID-19 related services are free in US — from testing to vaccination, which would be paid for by middle-income families in the Philippines.

“America has received 2 rounds of stimulus already, waiting on the 3rd. Covid testing is free, vaccination is free. Where is the support for the poor in our country?” she asked.

“Madali lang naman po mag stay at home if everyone has food on the table and money to pay the bills,” she stressed.

America has received 2 rounds of stimulus already, waiting on the 3rd. Covid testing is free, vaccination is free. Where is the support for the poor in our country? Madali lang naman po mag stay at home if everyone has food on the table and money to pay the bills.

— Liza Soberano (@lizasoberano) March 22, 2021

The Philippines has its own version of the stimulus package — the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), which was given during and after hard lockdowns in Luzon and other parts of the country. However, a lot of observers believe that the amount given — ranging from P6,000 to P8,000 — was insufficient.

Lately, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that no financial aid would be given to residents inside the so-called general community quarantine (GCQ) bubble which is composed of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.

The Philippines is currently experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases, which several health experts have attributed to the spread of coronavirus variants.

On Monday, the Department of Health recorded 8,019 new COVID-19 cases — the highest single-day increase recorded since the pandemic reached the country, and the fourth consecutive day that new cases reached over 7,000.

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