‘Minimal’ impact on economy seen under GCQ

FILE: Motorists experience bumper-to-bumper morning traffic along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Thursday (August 20, 2020). (PNA photo by Joey Razon)

MANILA – Malacañang on Thursday expressed optimism that the implementation of general community quarantine (GCQ) in some parts of the country will have a “minimal” impact on the economy.

“Ang ating GCQ naman po ay halos 75 percent ng ating mga industriya ay bukas na so sa tingin ko po, minimal na ang epekto nito sa ating ekonomiya (We have opened 75 percent of industries following the GCQ implementation so it will have a minimal effect on our economy),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual presser.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday announced the implementation of GCQ in Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Rizal until August 31.

GCQ has also been imposed in the cities of Iloilo, Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, and Talisay, as well as the municipalities of Minglanilla and Consolacion in Cebu province.

On Tuesday, the national government decided to enforce a “stricter” GCQ to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic in the country.

Easing further the quarantine protocols in the country aims to revive the country’s battered economy.

However, a joint report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) noted that the Covid-19 induced recession is triggering the employment crisis among young Filipinos.

ADB and ILO, in their joint report titled “Tackling the Covid-19 Youth Employment Crisis in Asia and the Pacific,” estimated that as many as 1.019 million young Filipinos may be rendered jobless this year due to the pandemic.

Roque said young Filipinos need not worry because the government is offering several programs for those who lose their jobs amid the Covid-19 crisis.

“Inaasahan natin na ngayong bukas na po ang ekonomiya, merong mga alternatibo silang pupwedeng pasukin (We expect that they can choose alternative work arrangements now that we are gradually opening the economy),” he said.

Roque said Filipino youth who are jobless can avail of training programs being offered by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

He added that the government is offering cash assistance to displaced workers.

“Hindi po tayo magkukulang ng sources of funding (We have enough sources of funding),” Roque said. “Ang hinihingi lang po natin ay ingat buhay po para tayong lahat makapaghanapbuhay (We are just urging them to protect their lives so we all can earn a living).”