The declaration by the World Health Organization of the end of the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will send positive signs that would benefit the economy.
The end of the pandemic particularly signals hope for the tourism industry to full recovery, according to Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco. The sector took the biggest hit during the pandemic.
Frasco cited the significant role that tourism plays in helping revive the economy and that the government has been instituting policies to fully open up the Philippines to the world.
George Barcelon, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said lifting of the public health emergency will not only increase mobility and cross border travel but would spur more activities, from onsite school and return to office work that would fuel consumption.
Barcelon added Filipinos have learned to live with the virus the past three years and should continue to be vigilant in protecting themselves from getting sick.
“Our job now is to focus on the economy,” said Joey Concepcion, lead for jobs of the Private Sector Advisory Council.
Concepcion said the WHO declaration affirms that COVID-19 is no longer an issue and that like in many parts of the world, “ people are moving on.”
Concepcion noted the importance of projecting to the world that the Philippines is moving on from the pandemic and is open for business. “If we create the wrong impression, that is, that we are still on alert for COVID infections, tourism and other businesses will suffer. We have to build up confidence that we Filipinos have learned to live with COVID and that we know how to manage the risks,” Concepcion said.
But he noted Filipinos should be cognizant that COVID is around, like dengue, the flu and shingles are.
Concepcion, whose Go Negosyo hosted a tourism summit in Cebu yesterday, said
the Philippines is undeservedly playing second fiddle to its neighbors in the region when it comes to tourism.
“Tourism has the potential to do so much for our countrymen. Tourism accelerates progress, helps communities, creates jobs, and is a catalyst for entrepreneurship. Tourism’s reach is so broad across industries such as retail, transportation, food, and services, that the ripple effects of slowdown or a rise in tourism activity are felt strongly among small and micro-entrepreneur, most especially those in the provinces,” Concepcion said. Irma Isip
