Activity 2: Article Critique

Introduction (title, author, main point of the article + thesis statement)

Summary in your own words

Critique (provide examples)

Conclusion (key points of the article and critique)

Activity 2: Article Critique

News Article No. 1

Due to the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, enhanced community quarantine is

being implemented all over Luzon. This sudden implementation of ECQ is seen as an effective
strategy to contain the virus and prevent its further transmission. On the contrary, it has created
panic and crisis among Filipinos, especially those who depend on daily minimum wage to
survive and feed their families. In the news article “Lacson: Wage earners getting hungry, but
where’s the cash subsidy?,” Neil Arwin Mercado (2020) tackled how Senator Panfilo Lacson
addressed the government’s failure to immediately distribute the emergency cash subsidy
intended for some 18 million households despite wage earners already getting hungry amid this
pandemic.

The above mentioned article stated that President Rodrigo Duterte recently signed into a
law the Republic Act No. 11469 also called as Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, effective upon its
publication, to provide emergency subsidy for two months to some 18 million households,
particularly wage earners, from a minimum amount of P5,000 to maximum P8,000 depending on
the minimum wage rate per region. Yet, according to the senator, less than a week had passed
since it was signed on March 24 and published on March 25 but the cash subsidy have not yet
been distributed while the wage earners and their families are getting hungry and must have
already spent all that is left from their limited savings and personal loans trying to survive for the
day. He also stressed that those in charge of the law’s implementation should promptly distribute
the cash subsidy before desperate measures are committed to feed a starving family.

This article opened the eyes of Filipinos on one of the measures conducted by the
government against COVID-19 and some experience of daily wage earners and lower income
families during this quarantine period. It also urged those in charge and the government to focus
on prioritizing the distribution of the cash subsidy to wage earners to relieve their hunger and
prevent social problems from happening for ‘a hungry stomach knows no law’. However, it
would have been better if more examples of situations experienced by wage earners were cited to
really awaken the government that ‘more Filipinos fear death from hunger more than the
coronavirus’ (Rappler.com). Also, this article should have included the reasons on why the
government cannot distribute the emergency cash subsidy right away such as operational issues
on man power, compliment and distribution strategies (CNN Philippines). Moreover, the
government, before releasing the P275 billion emergency cash subsidy, had to make sure that
there are still enough funds to support its people for the next few weeks or months after it had
first released P27.1 billion package of priority actions to help front liners and provide economic
relief to people and sectors affected by the virus on March 16 (dof.gov.ph).

This crisis the country is facing right now really induced great damage not just to
health and safety but also to economic activities and livelihoods of millions of Filipinos. This
news article really helped the vulnerable and affected families to receive financial assistance
from the government in these times of need. Through this, those who are responsible in
implementing the law gained awareness that they should double their efforts to immediately help
the needy to feed their hungry stomachs to prevent crimes when desperation calls. But, it has
failed to consider other programs made by the government to provide the first wave of help to
front liners and communities, the reasons why the government cannot release the fund pronto,
and how releasing the subsidy alone won’t really solve hunger and problem for money because
according to PRRD, they may have properly released the cash subsidy but this will not ensure
that it will still be properly distributed to the target beneficiaries by those who are assigned to do
the task. However, in the midst of this pandemic, donations, words of encouragement and
appreciation for all the front liners and praying for one another are the most important things to
do.
News Article No. 2
 urged the government and addressed its failure to immediately distribute the
emergency cash subsidy that is much needed by daily minimum wage earners, there are
limitations on the example situations provided. Furthermore, it only focused on the
failure of the government and has failed to consider the steps needed to be made to before
releasing the emergency funds

government’s distribution of the emergency subsidy to 18 million households amid the

said pandemic.

While this article urged the government to immediately distribute the that includes public
transportation drivers, vendors, construction workers, micro