The previous week offered us a much-needed pause during the long Holy Week break. It was a time to step back from the demands of daily life, reconnect with our families, reflect on our faith and regain balance.
But as we return to work and school, we also face the realities of everyday life — the hustle and bustle, continuous oil price hikes, transportation struggles and the rising cost of basic goods.
Amid these challenges, we continue to witness the resilience of Filipinos, especially those who work hard each day to make ends meet. We see this in the determination of workers, small entrepreneurs and those in the informal sector who strive daily to provide for their families.
While resilience is already ingrained in the lives of ordinary Filipinos, they still need support from the government — one that steps up to provide solutions and viable alternatives to help them move forward.
Take, for instance, micro-entrepreneurs who depend on fuel for daily operations, like balut vendors, who said they used to spend P100 worth of gasoline, but now it costs around P160 and still does not fill a motorcycle tank, cutting into already limited earnings.
Meanwhile, employees who rely on daily commuting have also raised concerns that rising fares and commodity prices have effectively erased any gains.
As Mr. Malasakit, we aim that no sector will be left behind despite the crisis we are facing. Like everyone else, we hope that this dilemma will soon ease so we can all return to our normal lives.
With this, we have been a vocal supporter of local development and small businesses. We are one of the authors and a co-sponsor of Republic Act 11960, known as the One Town, One Product Philippines Act, promoting Filipino-made products while providing small-scale producers opportunities to expand their market reach.
Furthermore, we filed Senate Bill (SBN) 679 at the start of the 20th Congress, which seeks to promote entrepreneurship by establishing a sustainable financing program for micro and small enterprises. SBN 679 seeks to provide an affordable, accessible and simple financing program for the country’s MSMEs. Once enacted, the “Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-Asenso Fund,” or the P3 Fund, would be a better alternative to the so-called “5-6” money lending system used by small entrepreneurs and small business owners.
As we move forward from the reflections of Holy Week, may we carry with us not only renewed faith but also a deeper commitment to action. True progress lies in ensuring that every Filipino has the opportunity to thrive.
Meanwhile, last week, my team assisted various kababayans, including fire victims in Marikina City, Pasay City and Parañaque City.
The team also supported the graduates of Basilan National High School during their commencement exercises, where we extended our greetings via video call.
Moving forward, we will continue to closely monitor the government’s assistance to sectors directly affected by these economic challenges. We remain committed to working and helping those in need, dahil bisyo ko ang magserbisyo at naniniwala ako na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo sa Diyos.