The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) yesterday criticized contradictory bureaucratic responses in handling the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which could further delay the reopening of businesses.
In his speech at the opening of the 42nd National Employers Conference yesterday, ECOP chairman Edgardo Lacson said the P770-billion stimulus “may just be throwing good money after bad if the economy remains on lockdown and business heads into a black hole.”
Lacson said the reform, rebound and reform theme of this year’s NCE is not a slogan but an “urgent call for help” for government to “unlock the economy now.”
Acknowledging the revival of the economy hinges on the successful rollout of the vaccine program, Lacson said “we are worried until and unless the target” of inoculating 70 percent of the country is attained, “there may be little hope for the economy to be fully reopened and the harsh restrictive and punitive regime of ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) modified ECQ, GCQ (general community quarantine) and MGCQ and the consequent lockdowns, curfews limited mobility and reduced customer capacity for many businesses will remain in full force and in effect. We can thus expect more shuttered enterprises and a rise in unemployment in the coming months.”
He lamented the target of inoculating 77 million Filipinos would take six more months as only 8 percent of the population has been vaccinated so far when Australia, New Zealand, Australia, United States and several other countries have started easing health restrictions and have opened their economies.
“It is equally distressing to read that in the region, the Philippines lags far behind in the vaccine rollout program. A high ranking bureaucrat reportedly and quickly dismissed this statistic by saying `hindi naman tayo nahuhuli, nauuna lang sila.’ If it were a joke, no one is laughing,” Lacson said.
Lacson also balked at the confusion caused by statements from what he called are “too many instant experts” often contradicting official pronouncements and even each other regarding surges, variants and severity of quarantine protocols, which leads to delays and conflicted bureaucratic response.”
“It must be told that during a crisis in the magnitude of the COVID- 19 pandemic, slow bureaucracy kills businesses and kills lives.”
