Medialdea asks Filipinos to 'act responsibly' after gradual reopening of economy

Filipinos should not let their guard down even after the government eased COVID-19 restrictions to allow partial resumption of economic activity, a Malacañang official said Wednesday.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea made the appeal amid the spike in new infections, which the Department of Health said was probably caused by the “increased contact among the population” as a result of the easing of the coronavirus lockdown.

“We must act responsibly. Sabi nga nila, mapa-ECQ [enhanced community quarantine]  or MGCQ [modified general community quarantine], huwag matigas ang ulo. May virus pa rin,” he said during an economic forum ahead of President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) later this month.

Medialdea asked Filipinos to continue observing social distancing and other public health measures such as wearing masks and frequent washing of hands to protect each other’s health and wellbeing.

“Having vastly improved our health system capacity, we are on the road towards reopening our economy. This is evidenced by the less restrictive quarantine classifications now prevailing in most parts of the country,” he said.

“Nonetheless, as we help our citizens return to work, each and every Filipino needs to remain vigilant.”

Duterte said on Tuesday the economy will not reopen completely as the Philippines is still “grappling” with the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of Tuesday, the Philippines has 47,873 COVID-19 cases, with 12,386 recoveries and 1,309 deaths.

According to Medialdea, the government is “working round the clock to minimize the socio-economic impact of this pandemic and to ensure our sustainable recovery.

“We are confident that in spite of the continuation of this health crisis, our economy can resume its growth trajectory and that our economic and infrastructure development will generate jobs for Filipino workers, enabling them to provide a more comfortable life for their families,” he added.

The Philippine economy could shrink by 2.0% to 3.4% this year, according to government estimates. The government said it expects the country to recover in 2021, with the economy growing around 7.1% to 8.1%. --KBK, GMA News