‘It is either “Thank you, Mr. President” or “Good riddance, Sir”…’
SIXTY-NINE days before he bids goodbye to Malacañang, President Duterte released the endgame road map that shall chart the course of national life going into the post-pandemic society.
Signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdia, the President’s Executive Order No. 166 lays down the basic rules of behavior for the public in connection with the ongoing fight against COVID-19 pandemic. While we have seen marked improvements in controlling the spread of the coronavirus, the government’s ultimate objective is the complete eradication of COVID-19 and a speedy recovery of the economy.
In the words of the EO itself, the comprehensive policies on economic recovery are adopted to “sustain current economic gains, minimize the pandemic’s long-term adverse effects, and restore the country’s development trajectory.”
The road map for public offices, private sector and the general public consists of 10 points that are self-explanatory and easy to understand.
The EO directs all government agencies, including all local government units (LGUs) and state universities and colleges, to ensure that all related policies, measures, and programs are aligned with the following principles:
1. Strengthening healthcare capacity
2. Accelerating and expanding the vaccination program
3. Further reopening of the economy and expanding public transport capacity
4. Resuming face-to-face learning
5. Reducing restrictions on domestic travel and standardizing LGU requirements
6. Relaxing requirements for international travel
7. Accelerating digital transformation through legislative measures
8. Providing for enhanced and flexible emergency measures through legislation
9. Shifting the focus of decision-making and government reporting to more useful empowering metrics
10. Medium-term preparation for pandemic resilience
While some items in the above 10-point agenda are broad in scope and others are terse one-liners, these concerns have been proposed before although not in this omnibus way.
The agenda developed by the President and his Cabinet particularly the economic team, the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), reveals Duterte’s sincere desire to leave the house in order as he has only two months to wrap up his official affairs.
It is either “Thank you, Mr. President” or “Good riddance, Sir” when Duterte finally bows out on June 30, but at least, we may give the man credit for completing his term, something he often thought of not doing.
