Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 12) – Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion emphasized on Tuesday the gradual reopening of businesses in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine will help rebuild the country’s economy.
“That’s a good progress. We are really moving into a GCQ (general community quarantine) and that is the objective,” said Concepcion.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced today that Metro Manila, Cebu City, and Laguna will be under modified ECQ until from May 16 to May 31. One of its guidelines is to allow the limited reopening of select manufacturing and processing plants.
Concepcion added there is a need for more employment opportunities in restarting the country’s economic growth to complement the gradual reopening of businesses in areas under modified ECQ.
He pointed out the importance of having an economic stimulus package, which is being deliberated at present in the House of Representatives.
“The stimulus package definitely will complement and add fuel to the economy’s engine if it restarts,” said Concepcion.
READ: ₱700-B post-quarantine stimulus bill tops House agenda in virtual session
Concepcion agreed that most enterprises under the modified ECQ will operate 50 percent of its full capacity, but appealed that those offering essential services should be allowed to run 80-90 percent of their business operations.
“In the essential, we’re trying to even ramp that up to about 80 or 90 percent, or we will not be able to supply the foods especially canned food and all of these essentials. It’s a challenge to really ramp up the number of employees who want to go to work,” he said.
The presidential entrepreneurship adviser also called on the government to allow the restart of construction projects in private sector, after public infrastructure projects were given the green light to resume under modified ECQ.
“The construction industry employs a lot of people. That’s what we need right now,” he added.
Concepcion also noted that as businesses were allowed to gradually resume their operations, there must be an efficient transportation system among companies in shuttling their employees in and out of work.
The gradual resumption of business operations in modified ECQ areas will also aid the country in boosting its COVID-19 testing capacity, as Concepcion stressed that more companies are willing to test their employees before allowing them to go back to work.
“The urgency of really testing is imperative for the private sector to allow the economy to open and we don’t want a resurgence of the virus. So, we really have to do testing, tracing, and isolating,” Concepcion said.
READ: DTI: Companies willing to test own employees to boost PH mass testing capacity
According to the Department of Health, a total of 181,668 COVID-19 tests have been conducted so far, including repeat tests. As of Friday, COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon also claimed that the country can now perform 12,000 tests daily.
The government targets to increase the daily testing capacity to 30,000 by the end of the month.
Nationwide, the DOH has recorded 11,350 confirmed cases of the viral illness, with 2,106 recoveries and 751 deaths.
