The unemployment of Filipinos arising from the coronavirus pandemic will just be “temporary” as the government moves to further open up the economy, Malacanang said Tuesday.
“Mayroon pong ibang mga taong minasama o binigyan ng kulay iyong aking sinabi na nagagalak na hindi tayo 100% na nawalan ng trabaho. Malungkot po na maraming nawalan ng trabaho sa atin. Hindi po biro talaga ‘yan ,” he said during a televised press briefing.Roque earlier triggered a firestorm on social media after supposedly downplaying the rise in the country’s unemployment numbers based on a survey.
Roque said the unemployment numbers “could have been worse,” adding he was glad not everyone lost their jobs due to the lockdown that affected economic activities. “I’m still surprised at our resilience at 45 percent pa lang ang nawawalan sa trabaho. It could have been worse kasi complete lockdown ang nangyari sa atin I’m still surprised at our resilience and only 45 percent lost their jobs. It could have been worse because we’re in complete lockdown),” he added.
Roque stressed the need to implement public health measures even as the government further opens up the economy to allow people get back to work.