UN Ph to present research findings on the country’s COVID-19 crisis

Workers belonging to the A4 category — the economic frontliners — get their CoronaVac jabs at Bagong Silang Elementary School in Caloocan City on Wednesday, June 9, 2021. The country started vaccination of its economic frontliners under the A4 priority group on June 7. (File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Even though Metro Manila continues to go through the world’s longest COVID-19 quarantine, the United Nations in the Philippines (UN Ph) will be presenting its research findings, policy recommendations, and strategies regarding COVID-19 recovery on Tuesday.

Specifically, UN Ph will present key findings and evidence-based policy recommendations relating to food Systems; micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs); and the country’s industrial base in a live discussion series titled  “ThrivePH: High-Level Discussions on Policies and Strategies to Leave No One Behind in COVID-19 Recovery.”

UN Ph said the findings of the joint research would help implement an evidence-based Socioeconomic and Peacebuilding Framework (SEPF) in the Philippines.

It would also help the UN refocus its priorities and direct its resources to where it is most needed to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and to help the Philippines remain on track to meet its development goals.

The series of live discussions will start on Tuesday, first tackling the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and adaptive measures practiced in Metro Manila.

The next day, the joint research will present its findings on gender-responsive, resilient MSMEs; highlighting strategic ways to unlock opportunities for MSMEs to cope with the various impacts of the pandemic on their operations and pivot their recovery to become better.

The final discussion will be about opportunities to diversify and upgrade the Philippine economy to generate productive employment that will make growth more inclusive.

It explores strategies aiming to strengthen and expand the country’s industrial base, starting with an analysis of the product space, key supply chains, and the labor market.

“Intensifying the capacity of the Philippine economy to create productive employment is a matter of urgency with an increasing working-age population,” said UN Ph.

“This challenge is magnified by the formidable task of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, The gross domestic product (GDP) contraction is the most severe that the country has ever experienced since World War II.” it added.

Meanwhile, amid the rising cases of COVID-19 delta variant in the country, Metro Manila will be placed under lockdown again from Aug. 6 to 20.

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/ATM