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PALACE
officials Sunday assured consumers of “targeted and
prudent” steps to mitigate the impact on locals of high
oil and rice prices in the world market while observing
fiscal discipline.
Press
Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in his weekly news column
“The View from the Palace” that President Arroyo
continues to be “very concerned by the runaway prices of
oil and rice in the world market, and her economic team
tracks [their] impact every day.”
Bunye
said the
Philippines
can count on “the diversification of our economy and
solid economic fundamentals to help us weather this
current global storm.”
This
Holy Week, he noted, the President ordered her official
family to conduct poverty alleviation activities in
their respective constituencies while she herself
conducted similar moves in Pampanga, Pangasinan and
Benguet.
In
launching ceremonies of the Serbisyo Caravan in Baguio
City on Easter Sunday, the President said the program is
intended to deliver concrete and immediate help for the
poorest families in the country amid rising prices.
“Now
that the price of oil is going up in the whole world and
now the cost of climate change, the production of rice
is going down in the whole world... And so we need to
help the poorest of the poor to be able to cope...in
order to have a better life,” she said.
Besides
the gift packs, the government through this year’s
budget will fund more Tindahan Natin stalls, Botika sa
Barangay selling low-priced medicine, training programs
and provide more funds for public education.
On
Monday Mrs. Arroyo will visit barangay Malasin in Dupax
del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, to distribute basic social
justice and services to the poor, including the
Department of Health buntis kits with
multivitamins, iron supplements and other items for
pregnant women.
She will
also give out Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (Tesda) scholarship vouchers for the
municipalities of Dupax del Norte, Kasibu and Kayapa,
Nueva Vizcaya; Galing Mekaniko and Galing Masahista Ako
Certificates; PhilHealth cards; vegetable seeds; and
grocery packs.
The
President will also send off 15 truckloads of rice,
approximately 12,000 sacks, to Manila for sale and
distribution to retailers and consumers.
Meanwhile, Presidential Management Staff head Cerge
Remonde urged all sectors to help in efforts to address
the impact of high oil and rice prices on local
consumers rather than just complain about the
government’s supposed inability to avert a possible rice
crisis. |
