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‘Hybrid’ lockdown in Metro Manila to balance health, economy, up to IATF–Galvez

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‘Hybrid’ lockdown in Metro Manila to balance health, economy, up to IATF–Galvez

CALOOCAN CITY, July 13 (PIA) — National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez on Monday said the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will be the one to decide whether to place Metro Manila under a “hybrid” or a more relaxed form of quarantine in order to further open up its economy.

“Meron po silang [metro mayors] recommendation na parang ‘hybrid’ pero pag-uusapan pa po namin sa IATF ‘yan at may mga appeal pa po ang ibang mga lugar,” Galvez said during the Malacañang media briefing.

“Ang hinihiling po nila ay magkaroon ng ‘stricter’ ang control, [so] we can open other economic activity kaya nga tinatawag nilang parang hybrid,” he added that some local government units (LGUs) wanted to ease certain quarantine protocols.

“Hybrid… ang isang quarantine control ay imi-maintain po natin ang restrictions sa social control, but we will open up some economic activity provided the economic sector would be responsible for their workers,” he furthered.

To recall, an estimated P2.2 trillion in losses would impact the Philippine economy this year due loss of jobs and income brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the National Economic and Development Authority.

Metro Manila, on the other hand, has been under an extended general community quarantine (GCQ) until July 15 by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte

“I will give an example, sa Taguig. Kung ni-lockdown ni Mayor Lino [Cayetano] ang buong BGC, we will have a loss of P17-billion,” Galvez said, pertaining to Taguig City after recording, as of July, a total of 1,450 confirmed COVID-19 cases—and over 300 of these came from an unnamed construction site in Bonifacio Global City (BGC).

“Nung makita niya [Mayor Lino] ‘yung kanyang tinutukoy na mga new cases sa isang construction building lang, ang ginawa niya ini-lockdown niya lang ‘yung isang construction site,” he added, explaining that phase 2 of the National Strategy on COVID-19, not only rebalance economic recovery with public health safety, but also adopts a national government-enabled, LGU-led, and people-centered response to COVID-19.

“Nakikita po natin talaga, sa lahat ng laban, ang talagang implementasyon ay doon po sa ibaba. So kung nakaangkla po ‘yung implementasyon natin sa ibaba, at tsaka ini-empower po natin ang mga lider natin mas maganda po ang implementasyon kasi mas mabilis po ang response,” the official said.

“So nakita po natin ‘yung ginagawa sa Manila, ginagawa sa Makati, tsaka ginagawa sa Taguig, in order to preserve the economic gains, nila-lockdown lang po nila ‘yung mga concerned na establishments,” he added.

“So sa ganoong pamamaraan nakikita natin na magagaling ang ating mga mayors, especially dito sa Metro Manila, na ginagamit nila ang lahat ng kanilang kaalaman at impluwensiya sa kanilang mga tao para at least ma-prevent po natin ang spread at ma-contain natin… hindi po nagiging malawakan ang ECQ [enhanced community quarantine], kasi pag ginawa po natin ang ECQ sa buong NCR, sa buong sa-siyudad, babagsak po ang ekonomiya.  (PIA NCR)

   

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