Cavite Government Jonvic Remulla writes an open letter to President Rodrigo Duterte asking the latter to include the middle class to the social amelioration program of the government.
In his social media post, Remulla explained that while middle-class people are not considered as the poorest of the poor, they’re still affected by the crisis.
As the leader of one of the biggest provinces in the Philippines, Remulla believes that middle-class families living in subdivisions don’t mean they’re not being affected by the enhanced community quarantine as they’re still relying to their monthly paychecks.
The government also told the President that the people belonged to the middle class contributing so much to the economy of the country that’s why they should not be disregarded.
According to iMoney.ph, people belong to the middle class are earning approximately ₱11,915 to ₱49,526 per month.
You can read his open letter below:
“I write to you today to appeal for the middle class. I come from a province that is over 70% migrants. People who have climbed their way up in life: buying a house on mortgage; sending their children through college; having a their 1st car or motorcycle on a 5 year instalment basis. 300,000 of them work in manila. 400,000 directly (factory workers) and indirectly (feeding, clothing, driving, retailing) from our economic zones. Our poverty incidence is one of the lowest in the country and our GDP per capita is just about the highest of all LGU’s outside of metro Manila.
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit my province hard. Despite that I am not asking for anything to be given to the local government. We can fend for ourselves, but not everybody can.
The recent announcement of the issuance of a Social Amelioration Card gave people a lot of hope. In the past 3 weeks most have depleted their savings. Families of 8 stay in housing units 24 to 40 square meters small. Cramped as they are, they are generally optimistic people. Despite all that, they are hurting.
Most of the people who live in subdivisions such as tierra nevada, or tree lane, or lancaster, are employed in the private sector or SME’s. Double income homes, OFW’s, single mothers, transport operators and entrepreneurs, all of them rely on a monthly pay check. As grand as their gated villages sound, they are middle class people who see their pay checks every month deducted of their SSS,GSIS, Pag-ibig and salary loans, and the largest part-income taxes.
It is a time of crisis for everyone. Not just the poorest of the poor, but also those who have built much but not enough. They wait for the LGU’s to give them relief goods but those come few and far in between. They scrimp and pawn and borrow. They are barely surviving.
As governor, I am respectfully asking that you consider them to be part of the social amelioration program. They may not get as much as the poorest of the poor but please consider their welfare. They are often overlooked. They pay the most taxes. They keep our economy alive. They are mostly law-abiding citizens. They need a break.
Thank you very much and I hope you receive this in the spirit that it was intended. Not for politics nor favour but for the people and their well being”
Three days ago, the Department of Social and Welfare Development (DSWD) launched the social amelioration program, which according to President Duterte, is the “largest and widest” in the “country’s history”.