Local officials believe reverting to MGCQ will help revitalize the economy from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
House Speaker Velasco and the country’s governors are convinced that imposing MGCQ is the fastest way to hasten economic recovery.
House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said helping the Filipino economy bounce back from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may be the strongest argument in relaxing quarantine protocols.
In a statement, Velasco backed the recent proposal of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) to place the Philippines under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
“I personally agree with Neda’s proposal to place the entire country under MGCQ next month… It is about time we safely relax pandemic restrictions to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on the economy,” the House Speaker said.
Acting Neda chief Karl Kendrick Chua recently proposed to President Rodrigo Duterte to shift the country to MGCQ by March 1 to address the current problem of unemployment and hunger among Filipinos.
Currently, Metro Manila, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Batangas, Tacloban City, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Iligan City are under general community quarantine (GCQ) until the end of February.
Meanwhile, the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) said it is in favor of putting the entire country on MGCQ by March.
LPP president and Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco, Jr. father of Speaker Velasco, however, qualified that governors should have the power to impose lockdowns or change their quarantine status.
”Meron talagang mga lugar na mataas ang infection rate o 'yung attack rate o transmission. Okay naman 'yan na lahat gawing MGCQ at nakikita naman natin ang policy ng gobyerno na pagalawin ang ekonomiya," Velasco said in a radio interview.
The governor also pushed for the resumption of provincial bus routes under MGCQ status.
"'Yang public transport po, dapat ibalik na ang provincial buses. Eh binibigyan pa po ng special route ng LTFRB [Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board]," the older Velasco said.
(ONT)
Tags: #COVID19, #HouseOfRepresentatives, #NationalEconomicandDevelopmentAuthority, #LeagueOfGovernorsOfThePhilippines, #SpeakerVelasco