Laguna execs air concerns on restarting industries, repatriation

By Patricia Bermudez November 13, 2020 Liliw municipal Mayor Ericson Sulibit ...

By Patricia Bermudez
November 13, 2020

Liliw municipal Mayor Ericson Sulibit

SANTA CRUZ, Laguna - Local chief executives have expressed their concerns on recovering from the coronavirus diseases’s impact on the health and livelihood of their constituents.

Together key agencies such as the Department of Health, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Information Agency - CALABARZON, Presidential Communications and Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar continued the third leg of the ‘Explain, Explain, Explain: Pagdalaw sa Laguna’ to bring the national government’s support to towns which have been reeling from the pandemic and its effects.



Dubbed as the country’s slippers capital, Liliw municipal Mayor Ericson Sulibit proposed that the DTI resume its ‘One Town, One Product’ campaign, which proved very helpful in improving local livelihood in the past.

Aside from the resumption of the OTOP, the local chief executive also suggested that assistance be given to hog raisers whose livelihood were damaged by the African Swine Fever.



Mayor Lourdes Arcasetas, whose town of Nagcarlan is only a few kilometers away, admitted that they share the same problem.

Arcasetas said most of her constituents, who mostly rely on agriculture and the booming pasalubong industry, are also suffering the pandemic’s effects on their livelihood.



DTI Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group, Atty. Ruth Castelo said that various programs such as: Negosyo Centers; Go Lokal! which provides MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) access to stores and retail operators, and develop their products to become commercially viable; Livelihood Savings Program, and consumer care webinars for online sellers, are readily available to help them restart their livelihood.

Aside from restarting industries, Santa Cruz municipal Mayor Edgar San Luis said he is also concerned about the health risks of the Balik Probinsya program.

“[Paano po ang] coordination with workers from high risk municipalities na nagpopositive sa company at dinanadala sa ibang municipality ng walang pasabi?” San Luis asked.

[How do we coordinate with workers from high risk municipalities who tested positive in their companies, and are brought to other municipalities without informing (the concerned local government units)?]

Provincial governor Ramil Hernandez assured his colleague that as local chief executives, they are authorized to implement health protocols and impose sanctions to violators in order to protect their constituents.