Villanueva urges continued social services amid economic contraction

Senator Joel Villanueva urged the government to continue social services despite the country's economic contraction during the first quarter of the year, which he attributed to COVID-19 quarantine measures.

Villanueva stressed the need to support individuals most affected by the restrictions, as more people will require financial and social assistance the longer the quarantine persists.

He also called for government aid to companies to prevent further layoffs and help them retain their employees.

The senator reiterated his proposal to reopen essential and valuable economic sectors that have strong disease surveillance mechanisms to provide employment and produce basic necessities.

To manage potential increases in COVID-19 cases with the economy's reopening, Villanueva advised the government to enhance the capacity of the healthcare system.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported a 0.2 percent economic contraction from January to March, the first since 1998, with the Department of Labor and Employment noting over 2 million workers lost their jobs as of April.