Velasco backs Neda proposal to shift to MGCQ by March

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Lord Allan Velasco on Wednesday backed the proposal of the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) to shift the entire Philippines to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status by March, citing the need to cushion the blow of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I personally agree with Neda’s proposal to place the entire country under MGCQ next month… It is about time we safely relax pandemic restrictions to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on the economy,” said Velasco in a statement.

In his presentation to President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, acting Neda chief Karl Kendrick Chua explained that by placing the entire country under MGCQ, it would allow industries previously prevented from operating by a strict lockdown to reopen.

“We need to shift as soon as possible to MGCG for the entire Philippines — if possible starting March 1, 2021 — to address hunger or the high rate of hunger among Filipinos,” Chua said partly in Filipino.

Currently, Metro Manila, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Batangas, Tacloban City, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Iligan City are under general community quarantine (GCQ) until the end of February.

Velasco, meanwhile, said that it is time to encourage the public to patrionize businesses once again as the vaccines are set to arrive for the government’s Covid-19 vaccination program.

“With vaccines on the way, we should start encouraging our countrymen to patronize businesses again while strictly adhering to minimum health and safety protocols,” he said.