I am writing in reference to The Freeman’s Editorial titled “Why the middle class also needs help,” which was published on May 21, 2020. It talked about my remarks during the Senate’s Committee on the Whole on May 19, 2020 which was taken out of context. For which I have already issued a clarification statement and an apology. Thank you for acknowledging my apology. Please allow me to further explain my remarks then and about some points written in the editorial.
I was talking about giving subsidy to 60% of the population, the unemployed and those who are earning P19,000 and below a month (mainly the daily wage earners and minimum wage earners). The middle class are further divided into three categories: lower middle income earning between P19,000 to P38,000 per month; middle income earning between P38,000 to P67,000 per month; and upper middle income earning between P67,000 to P114,000 per month. That is based on the 2015 and 2017 Family Income & Expenditure Surveys (FIES).
I am just concerned because the government has limited resources especially now that the economy has slowed down. I am sure we all want the government to be able to continue its program over the long term. And the end of the pandemic is not yet in sight. Thus, we have to continuously monitor where the funds are going to the intended beneficiaries.
I would also like to correct what is written in the editorial about my “privileged upbringing” and that I was “born into wealth and never experienced the lack of it.” That is a wrong impression of many about me and my husband Manny. My father was a barrio doctor sent to the University of the Philippines (UP) medical school by a mother who is a sidewalk vendor in Divisoria selling “ikmo” (betel nut). My grandmother was a vendor from the age of 16 years old to 80 years old, she was what is commonly referred as “no read, no write.” When my father became the mayor of Las Piñas, it was still a small town and he had no income of his own. It was my mother, who put up a poultry business and a rice mill, who supported us. Manny is the son of a fish vendor in the wet market of Divisoria.
We established our own business, a gravel and sand business, in 1975 after we got married at the age of 25 years old. Both of us were graduates of business courses from UP Diliman and we used our business acumen in growing our business. Manny was able to raise $800 million, through foreign IPO in 1995 and 2007 which gave us the capital to become a publicly listed company. We live very simple lives despite our success and we teach our children to do the same.
I was just concerned about the poor and the low-income earners in this difficult time, who are really the intended beneficiaries of the government program anyway. They are the ones who are not able to go back to work and are going hungry already. The DOLE predicted that more than five million will be unemployed due to the pandemic and private sector study predicted more. We have to conserve the resources of the government for the emergency employment of those people, which is also the proposal of our economic team. That was just an inquiry and recommendation on my part with no intention of disregarding the important role of the middle class as the engine of growth of the country’s economy. The government with the private sector or the companies that employ them are also working together for a recovery plan ad to help them adapt to the new normal.
My best regards and stay safe.
Sincerely yours,
Cynthia A. Villar
Senator