Presidential adviser Joey Concepcion yesterday said easing restrictions will help sustain the economic momentum registered in the fourth quarter to lead the GDP to over 6 percent in the first quarter and even to 6.5 to 6.7 percent in the second quarter.
But Concepcion warned the country may backslide to stricter alert levels if booster immunization and vaccination slows down, especially after protection wanes.
Concepcion expressed hope the Interagency Task Force on the Management of Emerging would consider downgrading the country to Alert Level 1 by March, the last month for the quarter, to sustain the momentum of the fourth quarter of 2021 when the country grew 7.7 percent.
He said first quarter would be slower as most areas are still under Alert Level 2 for twi months.
Concepcion said under Alert Level 1, which will be the new normal for the Philippines, almost all businesses will be open. However, operating capacities will be defined and health protocols like wearing masks and physical distancing will be followed.
Concepcion is not discounting that alert levels may eventually be lifted, saying a state of public health emergency may no longer be necessary given there are currently no variants of concern, the country has achieved a higher vaccination rate, and healthcare utilization rates remain low.
However, business groups are calling for further easing as they are finding it difficult to return to pre-pandemic incomes due to the limited capacity because of distancing requirements. – Irma Isip
