Social support from gov't must continue amid economic contraction —Villanueva

The government must continue to provide social safety nets for Filipinos as the country continues to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) while trying to keep its economy afloat, Senator Joel Villanueva said on Thursday.

In a statement, the senator who chairs the Senate committee on labor said that the Philippines' negative gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first quarter of 2020 did not come as a surprise.

"The economy’s contraction is expected because of the enhanced community quarantine, which was the only way to arrest the spread of COVID-19," Villanueva said.

He said that government assistance should not stop amid the health crisis and its looming economic repercussions.

"We also have to understand that economic resilience varies from person to person. Those living below the poverty line will always need a helping hand in these times," he added.

The lawmaker further stressed the reality that the longer the quarantine is imposed, the more individuals would require financial assistance.

"The number of the vulnerable in the population is expanding. We must be able to respond to their needs immediately," Villanueva said.

According to the Department of Labor and Employment, around two million people in the country have already experienced job displacement because of the COVID-19 situation.

The entire Luzon has been placed under an enhanced community quarantine from March 17 to April 30. Its implementation has been extended in high-risk areas such as Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon until May 15.

The resumption of some businesses in areas under the relaxed version of the confinement measure—general community quarantine—were allowed since May 1.

Villanueva said that while the country aims to keep the economy afloat, precautionary measures should not be neglected in reopening certain sectors.

Beefing up the health sector would also be a crucial move, he said.

"While the reopening of the economy is done in phases, we must simultaneously ramp up the capacity of our healthcare system to anticipate the eventual rise of COVID-19 cases during the transition to the new normal," he said.

"This potential rise is one of the risks that go with the reopening of the economy, and the only way we can mitigate this is to expand the capacity of our healthcare system," he added.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto also said that a stronger health care system would help boost consumer confidence and rebuild the economy.

As of May 6, the Philippines recorded a total of 10,004 cases of COVID-19, with 658 deaths and 1,506 recoveries. —MDM, GMA News