Statement of Sen. Francis Pangilinan
Day 5 of emergency powers: Where is the money? PPEs, food packs? Plan?

It's been five days since the emergency powers, and as required by law, IATF needs to submit to Congress and effectively to the people a progress report every week. The report should answer these questions:

1. On resources: The law specifies savings from the Executive Branch and its special purpose fund, how much resources have been identified for this anti-COVID all-Philippines' effort?

2. On the health strategy: The law focuses on prompt and free testing, has a system been put in place to do this during the lockdown? What about a system for transporting front-liners? Have the donated medical products in the BoC been released? How many test kits, PPEs, medical devices, and medicines have since become available? What seems to be hindering the conduct of these tests? At what stage of preparation for the peak of COVID cases are we?

3. On the economic strategy: The law foresees the continuing need for food and other essential goods, has the DTI lifted its order for food manufacturers to stop operations? How long will the present food supply last? How many food producers (farmers and fishers), food workers (in food, medicine, and medical supply manufacturing), and transport and logistics personnel (drivers, pahinante) have been granted passes? What system is in place to keep them safe (PPEs for them) and to transport them and their goods to their place of work and to the market? How many of the 18 million low-income households have already received their P5,000 to P8,000 in emergency subsidy?

We're almost halfway in our enhanced community quarantine, at katulad ng nabanggit natin sa ating pahayag nang ipasa ng Senado itong batas na ito, gusto nating makita na ipinapatupad ang ang batas at inilalaan ang pondo nang ayon dito at gaya ng inaasahan.