MANILA -- The government will continue to provide assistance to various sectors to improve people’s livelihood and lift the economy particularly as the country exits the pandemic, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday.

“Hangga’t mangyari ‘yun, kami po bilang gobyerno ninyo ay nandito upang tumulong at hindi kami aalis hanggang nakikita namin na kaya niyo ng magsarili dahil ‘yan po ang aming naging prayoridad na maiahon at pagandahin ang ekonomiya at dahan-dahang aabot din tayo diyan,” Marcos said in his remark during the distribution of government assistance in Palo, Leyte.

“We are going in the right direction. So that is what we are putting at the top of our priority list is the continuing assistance,” he said.

The assistance will be extended to support people’s livelihood, the President said.

The aid will be given to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), sari-sari store owners, as well as manual laborers.

Marcos said he visited Leyte to assess the situation there and ensure that the people receive government support although they’re not hit by calamity.

According to the President, government aid is necessary to help people cushion the impact of increasing prices of basic goods and agricultural commodities.

“Kaya’t ito po ay kailangan pa namin tugunan at dahil ang aming inaalala ay, halimbawa, sa agrikultura, kailangan tumaas ang produksyon, sa mga negosyo, kailangan magbukas na ulit at magkaroon ulit ng kita ang ating mga mamamayan,” the chief executive noted.

Distributed in Palo, Leyte were monetary aid to recipients of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Rice Farmer Financial Assistance Program, beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) Program, and Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) TUPAD Emergency Employment Program.

A unit of disinfection truck, an ambulance, and laptops were also turned over to the local government and different agencies.

Earlier, President Marcos led the 9th year memorial of Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ that ravaged large parts of the Visayas and other areas in 2013.  (PND)