Palace uneager to extend MECQ: Economy can’t bear another lockdown

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang is not keen about extending the reimposed two-week modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, stressing that the economy could no longer stand another strict coronavirus lockdown.

In a Palace press briefing Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the MECQ was placed to give medical frontliners their much-needed “timeout” and to allow the government to “regroup” and beef up its COVID-19 response.

“Tatapatin ko po kayo. Hindi na po kaya ng ekonomiya ang mas matagalang lockdown. Lalabas po ang pigura ng second quarter GDP (growth domestic product) growth natin, napakatindi po ng ibinaba ng ating ekonomiya,” Roque said.

(I’ll be frank with you. The economy can no longer take another prolonged lockdown. Figures of the second-quarter GDP will come out, the economy greatly shrank.)

“Kaya nga po ang ating mensahe sa taumbayan, kinakailangan po ingatan ang ating kalusugan para po tayo ay makapaghanap-buhay,” he added.

(That’s why our message to the people, we must take care of our health so that we could go on with our livelihood.)

The Philippine economy diminished for the first time in 22 years, logging a 0.2-percent contraction in the first-quarter GDP, as the government imposed a Luzon-wide maximum lockdown in mid-March amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Palace official reiterated that the government is now balancing health and economy amid the health crisis that has already sickened over 105,000 people nationwide.

“Mahirap na mahirap na po ang mangyayari sa ating ekonomiya kung magla-lockdown tayong muli. Nandun na po sa punto na marami po ang siguro nga po mapapabagal ng husto ang COVID-19 pero kung wala naman pong hanapbuhay, eh papano naman po mabubuhay ang mga ordinaryong mamamayan,” Roque said.

(It would become too difficult for our economy if we’ll again be under strict lockdown. We get the point that maybe the number of COVID-19 infections will slow down but if people won’t have any livelihood, how could an ordinary citizen live.)

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the reimposition of MECQ in Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan from August 4 to 18 amid continuously rising SARS-CoV-2 transmission. SARS-CoV-2 is the latest strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19, a potentially deadly respiratory ailment.

Under MECQ, public transport and non-essential businesses are suspended and residents will only be allowed to go out if they have quarantine passes that would permit them to go on essential trips for food, medicines, and work.

KGA