Daily wage earners must be allowed back to work – Villar

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Cynthia Villar called on the government to allow daily wage earners to work as soon as possible, but subject to strict health protocols.

She said there are not many companies and workers that can opt to adopt some kind of work-from-home schemes.

“But as I have recommended earlier, the daily wage earners, most of whom are financially challenged, and comprise 59 percent of our population should be allowed to go back to work in order not to go hungry,” Villar said in a statement issued yesterday.

“No amount of relief and government support will be enough to feed them,” she said.

She said the government should realize that protocols must be immediately established for workers to follow so they can go back to work as soon as possible.

“We as legislators will also find ways and means to help our countrymen as we all adapt to the new normal,” Villar said.

Villar, who chairs the Senate committees on food and agriculture and on environment, has opted to participate in plenary sessions via video conferencing.

Her husband, former Senate president Manny Villar, continues to work from home with some company staff staying in.

“And Manny is managing our business online. I can take the risk, but Manny cannot. He is managing a very big organization with thousands of employees and workers. The companies need him because of a predicted economic recession,” Villar said.

“We have experienced recessions in 1983 and 1997. Like before, Manny has to manage the business to overcome the present challenges,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Grace Poe asked the government to make sure public utility vehicle drivers must be able to earn income when they are allowed to hit the road with reduced passenger capacity.

“To protect not only them but also our commuting public, our drivers must be included in the mandatory COVID-19 testing without out-of-pocket expense,” Poe said.

“As social distancing is enforced, the government should provide our PUV drivers fuel and livelihood subsidy to make up for the expected decrease in their take-home income,” she said.

She lamented that until now, a number of families of PUV drivers have yet to receive the promised cash aid close to two months since the lockdown.

 She reiterated her call to speed up the release of assistance as they are clearly among the sectors in need and without income if they are not allowed to go out.