Duterte’s option: Health or Economy?

Last updated on May 7th, 2021 at 05:34 am

MANILA – As the government tries to recover the ailing economy, The president may have to choose to extend for another two weeks the general community quarantine (GCQ) or further eased the quarantine to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila and several areas.

Reviving the economy will provide the government to revenues it needed to fund the projects and programs in the country. Extending it for another two weeks of GCQ, the government may not be able to to further fund its fight against the coronavirus pandemic as thousands of jobless Filipinos were unable to support their families.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the president could retain the general community quarantine (GCQ) classification in both areas, place them in the least strict modified GCQ (MGCQ) or return to a more stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

Roque added that it is up to the President because he is balancing the economy and enough capacity to provide medical care for covid-19 patients.

MGCQ is the lowest level of community quarantine imposed by the government before the “New normal”. Under the MGCQ, public gatherings will be allowed up to 50% capacity and public transportion will become more available. Roque ensured the public that the government through the

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and with the help of the local government units (LGUs), the country is ready to enforce the new quarantine rules by June 16.

President Duterte will be meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) in Manila and He is set to announced the new quarantine classifications in the country today (June 15). Metro Manila currently has the most number of Covid-19 cases at 5,706 closely followed by Cebu at 3,361 infections. The rest of the country is under MGCQ while National Capital Region, Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Central Visayas, the provinces of Pangasinan and Albay and the cities of Zamboanga City, Davao City, Cebu City are currently under GCQ