MANILA, Philippines — Opisyal nang nilagdaan ng Department of Finance (DOF) at Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) ang kasunduan para sa ¥50 bilyong COVID-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support Loan, bagay na gagamitin aniya para sa pagharap ng Pilipinas sa pandemya.
Ang nasabing halaga ay katumbas nang lampas P23 bilyon, na ilalaan sa response and economic relief efforts laban sa coronavirus disease (COVID-19) na nakahawa na sa 38,511 at pumatay sa 1,270.
Basahin: COVID-19 cases sa Pilipinas lampas 38,000 na, nadagdagan nang 999
Ang seremonya ay nilahukan nina Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III at JICA chief representative Eigo Azukizawa, na kumakatawan sa pamahalaang Hapones.
Nagpasalamat naman ang DOF sa nasabing pautang, bagayt na maaari agad i-withdraw at wala diumanong policy conditions bago i-disburse.
"We cannot understate the importance of this partifcular emergency support loan," banggit ni Dominguez sa isang virtual briefing.
"I am sure we shall soon prevail over this emergency. We will return to our growth path and recover our economic momentum. What will be unchanged is the deep friendship and cooperation between our two countries."
Inaasahang lalampas nang doble ang deficit to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio ngayong 2020 dahil sa pagbaba ng koleksyon ng buwis, kahit na gumagastos nang mas malaki ang gobyerno para sa ayuda at pagpapatatag ng sistemang pangkalusugan ng bansa.
Sinasabing co-financed ng Asian Development Bank (ADB) ang budget support loan, na tutulong sa pagsawata ng tuluyang pagkalat ng kinatatakutang virus sa bansa.
"The loan we signed today was launched to help developing countries in augmenting their COVID-19 response programs and pump priming their economics," ayon kay Eigo Azukizawa.
"We are proud to say that the Philippines is the very first recipient of this highly concessional loan specifically designed by the Government of Japan to address the COVID-19 crisis." — James Relativo