Vice President Leni Robredo is disappointed over the country’s COVID-19 response saying that lockdowns are not the only solution in addressing the pandemic.
Robredo made the comment after Bloomberg ranked the Philippines again at the bottom among 53 countries for the second time.
“We did such a terrible job in the last one-and-a-half years, na kahapon lang lumabas ulit iyong Bloomberg na ranking, pinakahuli ulit tayo. Kailangang ayusin natin ito, na iyong ekonomiya natin makabukas na,” she said.
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“Hindi tayo makaka-reopen, hindi tayo makaka-build back better, kung ang sitwasyon ng ating bansa ay lockdown kapag nagsu-surge tapos para tayong roller coaster,” Robredo lamented.
Robredo said that there should be funds for those badly hit by the pandemic.
“These small businesses which closed shop or are struggling at the moment, the government should help them because our unemployment rate is so high,” Robredo said.
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The presidential aspirant said that addressing the pandemic will be her priority should she win in the 2022 elections.
“Kapag ako pinalad, iyon iyong una kong gagawin. Siguraduhin na makabukas na tayo, makabalik na tayo sa normal. Siguraduhin na iyong magiging bagong normal natin better than the previous normal,” she said.
“It is a range of different things, but the top agenda is to address the pandemic,” she added. (TDT)
