Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) — The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board approved measures boosting the country’s social protection services, with the NEDA chief declaring this is timely amid high inflation and the looming effects of El Niño.
During a Palace briefing on Thursday, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the NEDA Board, chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., approved recommendations for the Social Protection Floor (SPF) endorsed by the Cabinet Level of the Social Development Committee.
“These guarantees provide protection to individuals and families in times of need. The guarantees should ensure that, at a minimum, everyone in need has access to essential healthcare and basic social services,” he said.
The approved recommendations cover the complete implementation of Universal Health Care; access to child nutrition, education, and care; support for Filipinos with insufficient earnings, such as emergency employment and enhancement of existing unemployment insurance; and social pension for senior citizens.
Asked how are these different from the current social services of the government, Balisacan said the intention was to institutionalize programs that have been proven to work.
“We’re a country that is exposed to a lot of risks. We want to make sure that these vulnerable members of the society do not fall into poverty so we can sustain the progress we’re making in poverty reduction,” he said.
Balisacan said this could help vulnerable Filipinos especially now that consumers continue to pay higher for goods and services, and with the El Niño threatening the agriculture sector.
“With the elevated inflation, then you get this El Niño, that’s a dangerous combination,” the NEDA official said.
“El Niño is expected to hit us by the latter part of the year. That will come with lower production, particularly for basic agricultural products,” he said. “We can start planning and putting necessary adjustments now to reduce the negative effects, while at the same time making arrangements for necessary support for those exposed.”
