NEDA chief says another quarantine extension ‘difficult’ to sustain
MANILA, Philippines — Can the economy still sustain an extension of the enhanced community quarantine?
Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia on Thursday admitted that it would be difficult.
“Mahirap na siguro. Marami na nagsabi na kailangan may partial opening na (It’s difficult. A lot of people are saying that there needs to be partial opening). Dapat lang may (However, there should be) precaution against the resurgence or the relapse of people who had been cured or who were able to avoid the COVID-positive situation,” Pernia said in an interview over DZMM.
“This has happened already in China, in Wuhan because when they lifted the lockdown, may mga relapses sila. Even Singapore also is suffering from relapse and Korea so we have to be careful about opening up (and) lifting the quarantine in some areas,” the NEDA chief added.
Pernia explained that in terms of the economic impact of COVID-19, the country’s economic growth rate for 2020 is expected to take a hit.
“The worst case scenario siguro is between (negative) one percent and zero. The more upbeat scenario would be a growth rate of between one percent to two percent,” Pernia explained.
President Rodrigo Duterte has placed all of Luzon under an enhanced community quarantine in March as the number of people infected with the new virus swells. The quarantine was supposed to end mid-April but Duterte extended it until April 30.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, spokesman of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, said Wednesday that government is slowly fine-tuning its “gameplan” after April 30.
Nograles said, however, that there is no final decision yet on whether the quarantine will be extended.
Pernia said that there are certain industries that should be partially opened despite the pandemic.
This includes personal services such as haircut, laundry, and housecleaning, among others.
“Maraming mga kailangan na hindi naman talaga vitally necessary pero kailangan din po for more comfortable living. Ganoon siguro yung graduation ng opening,” Pernia said.
(These are not vitally necessary but we also need them for comfortable living. That could be the graduation of opening.)
Pernia earlier proposed a “modified lockdown” which includes easing of transportation and opening of some stores.
Resume Build, Build, Build
Pernia is likewise hoping for the resumption of the Build, Build, Build program particularly some “important” projects that seek to ease traffic situation in Metro Manila.
“Gusto namin makaresume na yang build build build especially yung Skyway connecting NLEX (North Luzon Expressway) and SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) dapat talaga maumpisahan na yun para matapos na yun,” Pernia said, adding that the project would help ease traffic along Edsa.
Further, Pernia said that rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) should also resume.
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