Press Release
January 28, 2009

GMA'S DAVOS TRIP SEND WRONG SIGNALS - ROXAS
DEAL WITH LAY-OFFS, ECO CRISIS FIRST

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today reproached President Arroyo for her planned trip to Davos-Klosters, Switzerland this weekend on the guise of scouting job opportunities in Europe and the Middle East for Filipino workers.

"Bakit kailangang unahin niya itong biyahe sa ibang banse eh napakarami ng ating problema? Maliban sa patuloy na pagbagsak ng ating ekonomiya, heto at kaliwa't kanan pa ang isyu ng korapsyon sa kanyang administrasyon (Why should she prioritize this trip abroad when the country is already saddled with too many problems? Aside from the worsening local economy, allegations of corruption are also hounding her government)," he said.

Mrs. Arroyo is leaving for Switzerland this weekend to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) at the Swiss city of Davos-Klosters and then will cross over to Milan, Italy for a two-day visit.

The Ilonggo senator said the president should first find local solutions to the growing number of laid-off workers and the closure of companies, particularly factories and other export-based businesses.

"Mahalaga na unahin muna ni Gloria itong paghahanda ng pamahalaan para maibsan ang epekto ng dumaraming lay-offs sa bansa. Hindi dapat business as usual ang pananaw niya. At lalong hindi rin puro salita lang pero wala namang aksyon (Gloria should prepare the government to ease the effects of the rising number of lay-offs in the country. It should not be business as usual for her. And more importantly, her promises should be accompanied by action)," he stressed.

The Department of Labor has said the country was prepared to absorb 50,000 to 75,000 retrenched migrant workers expected this year. Also, it estimated that some 60,000 workers in the manufacturing sector alone will lose their jobs due to the effects of the global financial crunch to the local economy.

Research group IBON Foundation said unemployment is likely to increase to at least 11 million by this year. The figure is higher by 300,000 from IBON's 10.7 million figure of unemployed and underemployed in 2008.

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