Neda: Return to MECQ would have worsened hunger, unemployment

MANILA, Philippines — If the government opted to place Metro Manila and nearby provinces under a stricter quarantine classification or modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) with the rising number of COVID-19 cases, hunger and unemployment would have worsened, the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) said on Tuesday.

Neda acting chief Karl Chua, in presenting a cost-benefit analysis of placing NCR and nearby areas under MECQ or its equivalent, said imposing the stricter quarantine classification would prevent up to 266,194 new COVID-19, and stop up to 4,738 new deaths.

It would also prevent 11,626 new severe or critical cases.

However, 58,000 more Filipinos would become hungry on top of the 3.2 million who already are in Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, unemployed Filipinos would rise by 128,500 from the current 506,000. Non-COVID-19 deaths would also rise over 78,000 while foregone treatment for high burden diseases would stand at 75,000, Chua said.

This was the basis of why the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has instead placed Metro Manila and four nearby provinces under a general community quarantine “bubble,” which only restricts the mobility of the people but not entirely closing down the economy.

“‘Yan yung proseso na ginawa ng IATF, always based on the data and the recommendation based on science,” Chua said in a Palace briefing.

(That is the process the IATF has undergone, which was always based on the data and the recommendation based on science.)

JPV