2-week NCR ECQ may result in over P225-B GDP loss —Salceda

The two-week enhanced community quarantine in the National Capital Region could result in gross domestic product (GDP) losses of up to P225.37 billion, Albay Representative Joey Salceda said Thursday.

During the Ugnayan sa Batasan media forum, Salceda pointed out that if Calabarzon would also be placed under a two-week ECQ, it would accumulate a total of P179.97 billion GDP losses.

There is no final decision yet on whether Calabarzon will be placed under hard lockdown. 

In total, losses in GDP during the 14-day lockdown in the two regions can reach P405.34 billion, Salceda said.

According to lawmaker, the figures are based on the economic losses resulting from the impact of the ECQ in NCR Plus in mid-March to May of this year.

"Tiningnan namin 'yung nangyari noong NCR Plus in mid-March to May," Salceda, an economist, said.

Earlier, the National  Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said The Philippine economy will lose hundreds of billions of pesos, while hundreds of thousands of jobs are at stake for each week that Metro Manila is under the strictest quarantine classification.

Metro Manila will placed under ECQ from August 6 to 20 to prevent further transmissions of the more transmissible Delta coronavirus variant. —LBG, GMA News