Published - Noy to announce good news on Labor Day

By The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines -  There might be good news from the government for the workers on May 1 even as the Labor Day celebrations will not be moved to Monday for a long weekend.

“There are measures that are going to be undertaken, hopefully in time before Labor Day, that we can announce and so that we can assure the public that we are trying to do all we can to alleviate the burden to the public,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said yesterday.

“The rice prices have gone down. We are monitoring and making sure that prices are kept at reasonable amounts. We hope to hear good news from the economic managers and from the President,” Lacierda told a press briefing in Malacañang.

But Lacierda said populist measures like imposing price controls on basic commodities might not be feasible.

“With respect to the economic managers there are some hesitations to impose price control because it will cause hoarding (and) temporary shortages,” he said.

Lacierda said the President’s economic managers are discussing measures to alleviate the price increases.

He revealed the economic managers would firm up their recommendations to President Aquino that will be announced anytime before Labor Day on Sunday.