Open economy – Dominguez

FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd wants Metro Manila AND CALABARZON REGION PLACED UNDER MODIfiED GENERAL COMmunity quarantine (MGCQ) “as quickly as possible” to open the economy further so that people can resume working.

In a televised briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte, Dominguez said about 60 percent of the country’s economy was based in the National Capital Region ( NCR or Metro Manila) and Calabarzon, which consists of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon provinces.

“So we have to face the new reality. The reality today is that the virus is not going to go away. And we will have to live with it for a long period of time. I really believe we really should begin opening,” Dominguez said. “People have to start working,” he added. Under MGCQ, more establishments will be allowed to continue their operations,

but they would have to follow health protocols.

Metro Manila and Calabarzon were placed under strict quarantine in early March.

To prevent more infections, Dominguez suggested placing villages with a high number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases under lockdown so that other areas or villages would not be affected economically.

He added that companies could also be locked down.

“We should monitor it on the barangay level and if you know, the cases go up, just close it down. But do it on a place to place [basis]. And do it also on a company-tocompany basis. So if the company has a big spike [of coronavirus infections], close it down also,” Dominguez said.

Duterte admitted that the pandemic has “eaten up” a huge chunk of the country’s treasury. He called on Filipinos to stay at home to avoid being infected by the novel coronavirus.

On Tuesday, Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved the proposal to review strategies in combating the pandemic in a bid to further

reopen the economy.

“Pal al aka sin po nat inang ku mpiy an sang mg am am a maya n na mag bali kt ra bah oat pal aka sin ang consumer demand. Paanopo

ito? Sap am am ag it a np on gt es ting, malawakang targeted testing (We will boost the people’s confidence to go back to work. We will also boost consumer demand. How? Through expanded targeted testing),” he said.

On Wednesday, the Department of Health recorded 999 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total to 38,511.