Binay pushes for healthcare, education reforms and tax relief for workers

Senatorial candidate and Makati Mayor Abby Binay laid out her key policy agenda on the first day of the campaign, emphasizing healthcare and education reforms and calling for the removal of taxes on overtime pay and 13th-month pay to boost workers' purchasing power.

“When government gives priority to better health and education, our people become more productive. And by removing taxes on overtime pay and 13th month pay, we help spur economic growth by increasing the purchasing power of our workers,” Binay said.

Binay proposed a comprehensive healthcare program that includes free medicines for hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, as well as unlimited free dialysis and chemotherapy. She also stressed the need for preventive care and upgraded healthcare facilities, especially in rural areas.

“Quality health care should be accessible for anyone who needs it. Healthcare should be 100 percent better,” Binay said.

“Children want to learn. They need to feel valued and supported by their government. They deserve better,” she said.

For Binay, technology can be used to promote literacy and proficiency by giving public school students free access to modern learning tools such as tablets and computers.

This can be done while addressing with urgency the basic needs of students and teachers, such as classrooms, especially in far-flung areas; improving and updating the content of learning materials, and upgrading the curriculum, Binay noted.

“In a rapidly changing world, it is the role of government to guarantee that every child, regardless of economic status, has the opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute positively to society,” she said.