Revilla asks gov’t to look into suspending mortgage payments in wake of virus pandemic

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. on Friday called on the government’s financial managers to look into the possibility of suspending mortgage payments and other fees amid the threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Revilla made the call after President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Thursday night that Metro Manila will be placed under community quarantine as a part of the government’s efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.

The senator said that Duterte’s declaration of a quarantine in the nation’s capital region has brought “serious concern to a vast number of our kababayans who work hard day in and day out to make payments that fall due.”

“Habang malinaw sa deklarasyon ng pangulo na tuloy ang trabaho at wala dapat agam-agam sa pagkawala ng hanapbuhay, marami na ang tumitingin sa posibilidad na sundin dito sa atin ang halimbawa ng Italy sa pag suspend ng mortgage payments at ilang bayarin,” Revilla said in a statement.

(While the declaration of the President is clear that work will continue and there should not be doubts on the loss of livelihood, many are looking at the possibility of suspending mortgage payments and other fees like in Italy.)

“For this reason, I ask our Financial Managers to study and look into this course of action so that if conditions worsen and the need arises, we could implement an emergency mechanism that would ease the burden of our kababayans (countrymen) with the least adverse impact on our finances, economy, and institutions,” he added.

Italy earlier announced that it will suspend mortgage payments and other bills as a move to aid the economic impact of the disease on households.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night announced that Metro Manila will be placed under community quarantine following the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases as more cases of the coronavirus disease are confirmed here in the Philippines.

Under the said order, land, domestic sea, and domestic air travel to and from Metro Manila are suspended from March 15 until April 14.

This has caused concern from those who live outside the nation’s capital region but are working in Metro Manila.

Cabinet members also have different interpretations of the implementation of the order.

In a radio interview on Thursday night, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said that workers would no longer be allowed to enter Metro Manila once the quarantine takes effect.

But Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said that workers can still enter and exit Metro Manila provided that they present proof of employment in areas outside of the capital region.

There are 52 confirmed cases of the disease in the country, a vast majority of which were admitted in different hospitals across Metro Manila.