Health and economic response do not contradict each other, Robredo insists

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo has insisted that the health and economic initiatives do not contradict each other, saying that using a health-based approach to the country’s COVID-19 response can kickstart the economy.

Robredo explained during a public address on Monday, in which she again pitched suggestions to the government, that her primary economic recommendation centers on addressing health problems caused by the pandemic.

“Pangunahin sa mga rekomendasyong pang-ekonomiya […] ang paglalatag ng masinsin, mabilis, at malinaw na mga hakbang para tugunan ang pandemya,” she said in a recorded message which was streamed on her Facebook account.

“Idinidiin ko: Hindi magkatunggali ang mga suliranin ng kalusugan at ekonomiya. Address the pandemic, and we set in motion the gears of the economy,” she added.

She also stressed that a poor healthcare system would place workers who would return to their workplaces at risk of further infection, and would lower the number of businesses confident to operate again.

“Hindi dapat naiipit ang diskursong pang-ekonomiya sa usapin ng lockdown o no lockdown. Kahit pa ipilit nating magbukas ang mga negosyo; kahit pa sumuong ang mga empleyado sa panganib—hindi pa rin dadaloy nang husto ang enerhiyang ekonomiko, dahil lahat tayo, nangangambang magkasakit, nangangambang mabaon sa utang o mawalan ng pagkakakitaan […],” Robredo explained.

The Vice President did not mention what she was referring to, but there were instances when President Rodrigo Duterte and his administration weighed in on implementing certain health-based measures as it might be detrimental to the already hampered economy of the country.

Previously, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that Metro Manila nearly went into a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) by mid-July as suggested by experts from the academe, but national officials argued against it as the economy would take a hit from it.

Then, President Rodrigo Duterte said that he wanted to remove all quarantine restrictions but science is keeping him away from doing it because it may translate to a new wave of infections.

Then after the MECQ was declared, Roque said that the government must maintain a health-economy balance to manage the pandemic, as the country already suffered economic downturns after the gross domestic product for 2020’s second quarter shrunk by 16.5 percent.

However, these statements gave out ideas that the government is considering health measures as detrimental to the economy.

What Robredo suggests is for the government to thoroughly help medical frontliners and hospitals and to strengthen its healthcare system to ensure that people who would get sick are treated properly by healthcare workers.

She also pushed for a quicker turnover of COVID-19 tests, which would enable local government units to do contact tracing immediately and slow down the transmission of the coronavirus.  The Philippines’ positivity rate currently seats at a 10.5 percent — which she highlighted, is still far from the five percent standards from the World Health Organization.

“Indikasyon ang mataas na positivity rate na ito na bagaman kinakayang abutin ang mga naunang itinakdang testing target, kailangan pa ring ipagpatuloy ang pagpapalawak nito,” Robredo said.

Robredo also pushed for an aggressive contact tracing, which would stop infections and in turn place fewer workers at risk.

“Pagdating sa contact tracing: Si Mayor Magalong na ang nagsabi na sa bawat confirmed COVID case, minimum na ang 37 na katao na kailangang tukuyin para malaman kung nahawa sila.  Sa ngayon, sa NCR mismo, limang tao kada confirmed case pa lang ang kaya nating i-trace, malayong-malayo sa kailangan,” she said.

“Isang solusyon ang paggamit ng teknolohiya para maging mas efficient at mabilis ang contact tracing […] May mahigit 15 million na katao sa Listahanan ng DSWD; maaaring i-hire ang marami sa kanila, through the LGU, para makatulong sa contact tracing. Kung magagawa ito, tataas ang kapasidad natin for contact tracing at maaampat ang pagkalat ng COVID-19,” she added.

This is not the first time Robredo made some recommendations on the government’s COVID-19 response.  In January, she pushed for the denial of inbound flights from China to prevent the virus from spreading in the country.

Then while the pandemic was ongoing, she gave several suggestions to various government officials including Roque and Education Secretary Leonor Briones, and eventually to the public.

READ: Robredo to admin: Waiting for vaccine won’t solve pandemic, related problems 

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) was also involved in various programs with their private partner-agencies in providing personal protective equipment, free shuttles, and dormitories for health workers, aside from donation drives to purchase distance learning equipment. [ac]