Economic managers have urged President Rodrigo Duterte to place the entire Philippines under the more relaxed modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) to resuscitate the economy.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua, who is also the acting chief of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said the new quarantine measures can take effect starting March 1.
Chua said that persons aged between 5 and 70 years old should also be gradually allowed to go out of their houses, as part of the reopening of the economy.
The acting NEDA chief has asked for the President’s approval of such recommendations after citing rise in hunger incidence, as well as income loss reaching P1.04 trillion. This translates to an average of around P2.8 billion income loss per day.
“Given progress on the health side and no spike in COVID cases from the reopening of the economy last October and yearend holiday, our recommendation is number one, we further open the economy to MGCQ for the entire Philippines especially NCR,” Chua said.
“The main reason is gusto natin na ma-mitigate o mabawasan ang sickness, hunger, poverty and income loss that is arising from non-COVID cases,” he added.
Chua said that the government can implement localized lockdowns when necessary.
Metro Manila remains to be the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic and is still under the General Community Quarantine.
