NegOcc expects up to P1.57B losses due to Covid-19
The province of Negros Occidental is expecting up to P1.57 billion in economic losses due to the ongoing coronavirus disease, or Covid-19 pandemic.
Former congressman and Provincial Consultant on Economic Affairs Alfredo Benitez, speaking before officials of the provincial government attending the Meeting on Negros Occidental’s
Road Recovery Plan at the Capitol Social Hall on Monday, said about 976,000 workers in the informal economy were “highly affected during the enhanced community quarantine.”
Benitez said that 83,000 overseas Filipino workers from the province may also be affected “translating to potential loss in cash remittances amounting to
P7 billion pesos.”
During the meeting, he cited the digital revolution program “as a road to recovery.”
“Through the program the province will create smart cities, smart systems, smart infrastructure,” he said.
In line with the Digital Revolution, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson called on the department heads of the provincial government to “synchronize moves to show that the province is serious in migrating into technology-based delivery of basic services.”
Benitez said the meeting is to align the departments with the vision to create a digital revolution.
“It starts with the basic infrastructure of connectivity. The program is to bring all LGUs, all hospitals, schools into a network where they have connectivity with each other. Once the infrastructure of connectivity has been established you will have different programs of e-government,
e-learning, telemedicine. We will use technology to deliver basic services,” Benitez pointed out.
He added the province is signing a tripartite Memorandum of Agreement with private companies and with the Department of Information and Commun icat ions Technology, to ensure this connectivity infrastructure.
“We’re looking at this year for the realization of the project,” the former congressman added./