The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has reiterated its call for the complete resumption of face-to-face learning in areas placed under Alert Level 1.
Karl Kendrick Chua, NEDA secretary, emphasized in a statement yesterday the full benefit of Alert Level 1 cannot be maximized if the majority of schools are still closed for face-to-face learning.
NEDA estimates the economy is short of around P12 billion per week since schools are largely closed.
It said one-fourth of parents have to stay at home to help their younger children study in modular or online learning, resulting in drastic loss in productivity and foregone income opportunities.
“We urgently call for the full resumption of face-to-face learning in areas under Alert Level 1. We already have most elements in place to enable our full recovery in 2022. The biggest piece missing is our education sector,” Chua said.
“More than the foregone economic activity, we are concerned for the learning and future productivity of our children. Under Alert Level 1, children are allowed to engage in leisure and recreational activities for all indoor and outdoor venues, but the most important activity of children — going to school and learning fully — continues to be restricted,” he added.
Since March 15, 70 percent of the economy has already shifted to alert level 1, where most capacity and travel restrictions have been lifted.
Under Alert Level 1, NEDA estimates that the economy can gain around P10.8 billion per week of economic activity and reduce the number of unemployed by around 195,000 over the next quarter, compared to alert level 2.
In the same statement, NEDA, the Department of Finance and the Department of Trade and Industry welcomed the signing of Executive Order (EO) No. 166, which will strengthen the implementation of the Economic Development Cluster’s (EDC) 10-point-policy agenda to sustain the country’s recovery.
The 10-point-policy agenda proposes to: 1) strengthen health care capacity, 2) accelerate and expand the vaccination program, 3) further reopen the economy and expand public transport capacity, 4) resume face-to-face learning, 5) reduce restrictions on domestic travel and standardize local government unit requirements, 6) relax requirements for international travel, 7) accelerate digital transformation through legislative measures, 8) provide for enhanced and flexible emergency measures through legislation, 9) shift the focus of decision-making and government reporting to more useful and empowering metrics, and 10) enhance medium-term preparation for pandemic resilience.
“ These strategies will sustain our strong rebound from the pandemic and restore our path to rapid and inclusive growth this year and beyond,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said.
“Through the EO, we will be able to help more firms adapt and pursue the full and safe reopening of the economy,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said.
“We will vigorously pursue the remaining agenda items to help improve our growth prospects and safeguard our domestic economy against external shocks, such as the Russia-Ukraine crisis. We have seen encouraging results from further reopening the economy. To sustain this, the whole EDC commits to delivering the policies and programs under the EO without letup to lay the foundations for more rapid and inclusive growth,” Dominguez said.
Meanwhile, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said EO 166 is part of the country’s preparation for building resilience under the “new normal” and not the current administration’s exit plan.
Andanar expressed optimism the 10-point policy agenda would be carried on by succeeding administrations, likening it to EO 168 signed in 2014 by then President Aquino III which the present administration continues to adopt.
EO 168 created the Inter-Agency Task for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in anticipation of incidence of infectious diseases in the country and epidemics. (With Jocelyn Montemayor)
