SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go has urged the government to develop measures to address the rising prices of commodities in the country.

“‘Yun po ang dapat nating i-address sa ngayon. Pagtataas ng presyo. Alam n’yo, bawat sentimo, bawat piso napakahalaga po sa mga ordinaryong Pilipino, lalung-lalo na po ‘yung mga minimum wage earners,” said Go during an ambush interview after providing assistance to residents in San Juan City.

“‘Yung nagtatrabaho po araw-araw para kumita at may madala sa pamilya, napakahalaga po ng bawat piso,” he added.

Go called for cooperation and a whole-of-nation approach in addressing the inflation issue, noting that the common and poor Filipinos are most affected by the adverse economic effect of various global crises including the ongoing pandemic.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, annual inflation in the country increased to 6.9% in September from 6.3% in August, the highest level since October 2018. The most recent figure raises the average inflation rate of the country for the first nine months to 5.1%.

The increase in the cost of electricity and staple foods, along with the depreciation of the Philippine peso, according to PSA head Dennis Mapa, were the main factors in September’s inflation rate.

“Ako naman po bilang senador, as a legislator, tutulong po ako kung ano ang mga panukala na makakatulong to contain the increasing rate of inflation,” Go stressed.

When asked if he would advise the executive branch to provide financial aid to struggling Filipinos as a result of the rising inflation, Go responded in the affirmative, saying that the government must do everything in its power to ease the burden from the poor and vulnerable sectors.

“Bakit hindi? Dahil marami pong nawalan ng trabaho, tumataas ang unemployment rate natin. Gamitin natin ang pera ng gobyerno sa pagtulong sa mga mahihirap,” said Go.

“Importante po walang magutom na mga mahihirap. Importante dito laman ng tiyan. Kapag maraming nagugutom, diyan po tataas ang kriminalidad, diyan rin po tataas ang panloloko sa kapwa,” he added.

The senator also urged the present administration to continue prioritizing the welfare of the poor first and prevent any Filipino from going hungry as a result of rising prices.

“Kaya tulungan natin ang ating mga kababayan na walang magutom, walang maghirap, walang matulog sa gabi na walang laman ang tyan. Unahin po natin ang ating mga kababayan na mahihirap po,” he concluded.

Previously, Go urged the government to strengthen measures against other threats to the country’s economic recovery, particularly the soaring oil and gas prices brought by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Go pointed out that the conflict also has profound effects on the global market, making the country vulnerable to oil price hikes.

Despite these challenges, Go said that the nation has learned a lot the past two years, adding that as long as Filipinos maintain their discipline, cooperation and compassion with each other, the Philippines can and will continue moving towards inclusive recovery.