A lawmaker from the legislative minority is pressing executive authorities to roll out urgent fiscal and economic interventions to protect low-income households from the escalating cost of goods fueled by the local currency’s slide.
Akbayan Party-List Rep. Chel Diokno urged the administration to move past routine public assurances and lay down actionable strategies to curb the peso’s drop while directly shielding struggling families.
While acknowledging that maintaining public composure during economic swings is necessary, Diokno highlighted that working-class households require tangible steps from policy makers to offset price increases on everyday essentials.
“Higit pa sa payo, ang hinihintay ng taumbayan ay mabilis na pagkilos ng pamahalaan para mabawasan ang epekto ng patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin at mahinang halaga ng piso,” Diokno said.
He emphasized that families grappling with tight budgets require explicit policy guidance on how the government plans to lessen the squeeze on household expenses.
“Filipino families are already stretching their incomes to cover basic needs. The government must lay out clear, concrete measures to address these economic pressures and ease the burden on ordinary households,” Diokno also said.
The legislator noted that currency depreciation translates directly into reduced spending capacity at the market level, making basic commodities increasingly difficult for minimum earners to afford.
“Every time the peso weakens and prices rise, families can afford less with what they earn. The government must act to protect their purchasing power and ensure that basic necessities remain within reach,” Diokno added.