Phl can’t afford lockdown stretch

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque thumbed down the possibility of extending the modified enhanced community quarantine

The Philippines cannot afford to be placed under a prolonged lockdown beyond 18 August since the economy has drastically suffered from limited work and business operations for almost five months, Malacañang admitted Tuesday.

In his televised briefing, presidential spokesman Harry Roque thumbed down the possibility of extending the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila and other nearby provinces which account for 60 percent of the country’s GDP.

“I will admit this to all of you. Our economy cannot afford another lockdown extension. It will appear in the figures, GDP growth, that our economy has contracted,” Roque told reporters.

“That’s why our message to the public is we need to protect our health so we can work again. Things will be more difficult for our economy if we will impose stricter lockdowns again,” he added.

The Palace official also expressed hopes that lawmakers will allocate funds in the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act to aid poor families in and around Metro Manila during MECQ.

Under the quarantine scheme, industries deemed as essential, such as agriculture, are allowed to operate but other businesses will be forced to stop, displacing thousands of workers.

“The problem with this lockdown is where to get financial aid for the poor since the Congress has yet to pass a law. Hopefully, this will be included in the Bayanihan Law. Imposing lockdown is not an easy decision,” Roque said.

That’s why our message to the public is we need to protect our health so we can work again.

The government has spent billions of pesos since March to grant financial assistance to low-income families during the large-scale lockdowns — a move aimed at curbing virus transmission.

Nearly three million families are still waiting for the second tranche of the cash dole out, which has been delayed for nearly a month due to reports of “duplication” in the list of beneficiaries.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has vowed to finish the distribution by mid-August.

The government began easing restrictions in June in an effort to revive the domestic economy, which is now facing its biggest contraction in more than three decades.