Senate prods Galvez to tackle reopening of classes, entry of travelers in next IATF meeting

Senators on Wednesday prodded vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. to tackle the government’s policies on the reopening of classes and the entry of travelers from foreign countries in the next Inter-Agency Task Force on the Managing of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) meeting.

During the Senate’s plenary deliberations on the 2022 national budget, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon had asked Galvez to make the commitment as the lawmakers expressed dismay over the government’s non-opening of classes and quarantine policy for travelers who come from certain countries.

“Can we get a commitment from Sec. Galvez that these matters, especially the issue on education, the issue on tourism will be specifically addressed in the next IATF meeting and if we can get some clear policy guidelines on this? Because we can’t just keep talking here and being ignored, I don’t think that anyone can dispute the good intention of the Senate in trying to bring out these issues. Can we get a commitment?” Drilon asked.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sonny Angara, who sponsors the budget, said that Galvez fully commits to address the matters raised during the budget debates.

“Actually the gentlemen here are very supportive of the sentiment of the Senate, on education, on tourism, it’s the others in the IATF who are not supportive,” Angara said.

EDUCATION SECTOR

Before this, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto raised his concerns over the “confusing” Alert Level System, which has yet to include the guidelines for the reopening of classes.

“The point is we should open the schools ‘di ba (right) depending on the alert level? The point is it is confusing the alert levels, maraming nako-confuse d’yan [There are many who are confused with the system]. Why not just simplify it? he asked.

“So wala talagang linaw kung kailan bubuksan ang eskwelahan kahit alert level 1,” he added.

(There are no clear guidelines if schools can be reopened even under Alert Level 1.)

Recto was emphasizing the contribution of the reopening of classes to the economy as he noted that there are around 27 to 28 million students from elementary to tertiary levels, tagging it as a “big base of consumers.”

Senator Pia Cayetano, the sponsor of the budget of the education sector, seconded Recto’s concern, saying the young people are allowed to go to the malls, the coffee shops, yet they are not allowed to go to schools.

“We must appeal to the administration to help us get to a better place,” Cayetano said.

Recto then asked how much the reopening of classes would contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country.

Angara, citing the response of National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) director-general Karl Kendrick Chua, said they have yet to measure this but it would create a huge impact as 70 percent of the country’s population is composed of students.

“His point is 70 percent of the population is actually studying so if all of those are let loose, so to speak, then that is a lot of economic activity. He said it is very difficult to measure but just for us to imagine if each student spends a certain amount every day, then that amount circulates in the economy,” Angara said.

Recto then pointed out that the reopening of schools would not only help the economy but also the education of the young people.

During the pre-pandemic era, Recto said the government is spending around P700 billion for the education sector and the students only learn 50 percent of what they should know.

“Now that you have a pandemic and we are spending P738 billion for the education sector, probably they are learning what? One-fourth of what they should learn. So sayang naman all these money we are spending,” he pointed out.

To provide “clear recommendation” on this policy question, Drilon said Galvez should bring the matter to the IATF.

“If we keep going on in this condition, the more our educational system is damaged, the more our future generation are put in danger of being mangmang (ignorant), the mental health of our students are being exposed to some adverse effects,” Drilon said.

QUARANTINE POLICY

Moreover, Recto raised the policy regarding the quarantine requirements for travelers entering the Philippines.

Angara informed the senators of the current quarantine policy based on list of green and yellow countries.

“If we don’t take this issue seriously and we don’t study this carefully, how do you open up the economy? How do you open up our tourism?” Recto asked, noting that tourism makes up 10 percent of the Philippine economy.

Angara, citing Galvez’s response, said assigning countries under the green and yellow lists are currently under discussion by the IATF.

“It would be hard to recover…We’re spending P5 trillion next year and we’re borrowing P1.7 trillion next year, 7.5 percent of GDP, but if we don’t take appropriate policy directions to be able to take advantage of this budget to open up our schools and we won’t be able to open up domestic tourism or even allow Filipinos from America to come back home to visit their relatives here, how can we open up the economy?” Recto asked.

Angara agreed with Recto’s position, saying Galvez had assured him that the IATF will discuss it and “they’re going to merge the green and the yellow so that they could have less quarantine and attract more foreign tourists.” -- BAP, GMA News