House to create committee harmonizing gov’t efforts vs. Covid-19

FILE: Alan Peter Cayetano in Malacañan on Oct. 28, 2016 KING RODRIGUEZ/Presidential Photo

MANILA — Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday proposed the creation of a special House committee aimed at harmonizing and streamlining government efforts to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

In a press briefing, Cayetano said the proposed Defeat Covid-19 Committee (DCC) will function as an advisory and coordinating committee.

The DCC, which shall be supervised by the Speaker, shall be composed of the House Committees on Health, Economic Affairs, Tourism, Trade and Industry, Labor and Employment, Banks and Financial Intermediaries, Public Information, Appropriations, Ways and Means, Local Government, and Metro Manila Development.

Vulnerable sectors shall also be represented in the DCC by the Committees on Persons with Disability and Senior Citizens.

Cayetano said the committee would follow social distance protocols and would strive to minimize meetings in person amid the ongoing community quarantine measures.

“Kung pwede (If possible), most of our meetings are teleconference or sending documents to each other… I-limit na lang natin (We would limit [face-to-face meetings]),” he said.

The DCC shall exercise Congress’ oversight functions, propose economic relief packages, draft economic stimulus legislation, and facilitate public discourse and communication to combat and contain the spread of Covid-19.

The House would also conduct round table discussions with agencies that are part of the Covid-19 task force. The first meeting would be with the Department of Health on Wednesday.