The nationwide resumption of face-to-face or in-person classes would boost the economy’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Economic and Development Authority said Tuesday.
During a Palace briefing, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and NEDA chief Karl Kendrick Chua said opening all 60,743 schools for in-person learning would increase economic activity by P12 billion per week.
But a Malacanang official expressed caution, saying “COVID 19 is still here,” as he reminded the public not to be complacent after Metro Manila and 38 other areas were placed under most relaxed Alert Level 1 which started March 1.
Palace spokesman and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles reiterated his call to individuals who are not yet vaccinated against the COVID 19 to comply with minimum health protocols.
“We must continue to avoid another spike in infections and a return of quarantine restrictions. Our reaching Alert Level 1 may be regarded as a victory, but this is not yet the time to celebrate,” he said.
“We need to be responsible to ourselves, our families, and our communities. Even if we have controlled it, the threat of COVID-19 remains in our midst,” Nograles added.
NEDA said this was on top of the estimated P16.5 billion to be added to the country’s gross domestic product each week that the entire Philippines is under Alert Level 1.
Chua said the P12 billion per week additional economic output would come from the resumption of “services around the schools like transport, dorms, food stalls, school materials and so on.”
The country’s chief economist said that the Philippine economy had lost P22 trillion for the two years of face-to-face learning closure.
Meanwhile, the effects of declaring Alert Level 1 amid the COVID-19 pandemic on the National Capital Region and 38 other areas would be seen only from 10 to 14 days after its implementation, the Department of Health said.
“The public needs to understand that whatever the effects of Alert Level 1 are, they will be seen in 10 to 14 days.),” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a Palace briefing.
Vergeire said that updates about the public’s compliance with the minimum public health standards during the first day of the implementation of Alert Level 1 might be given on March 2.
“We cannot say, for example, that a sudden increase of two cases tomorrow is the effect of Alert Level 1. So far, we have no updates, maybe tomorrow,” said Vergeire.
In related developments, the de-escalation of the National Capital Region as well as several other areas, to a COVID-19 Alert Level 1 can help the country with its economic recovery and reduce the effects of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the independent monitoring OCTA Research Group said.
OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David, during a Laging Handa briefing, said that the Philippine government had to take some risks to reopen the economy, considering the ongoing conflict between the two countries.
“We need this. I mean, we need to balance public health and the economy, [but] with the growing concerns worldwide, internationally especially Ukraine-Russia war, we have to be able to keep up with the economic impact and this is the one way of keeping up with the economic impact,” David said.
“With the Ukraine-Russia conflict, it changes the importance of things. That’s why it’s also important for us to make sure (our) economic recovery is on its way so we could minimize the effects of other countries with our situation,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
He said around P11 trillion in productivity losses every year could be averted if in-person learning resumed nationwide.
So far, only 1,726 schools or 2.9 percent of all schools nationwide were conducting face-to-face classes. Meanwhile, citing data from the Department of Education, Chua said that 6,213 schools were ready to conduct in-person classes.
“As the vaccination rate of children increases, opening all schools for face-to-face learning will provide a big boost to the economy and improve the learning and productivity of children,” the NEDA chief said.
Furthermore, the resumption of face-to-face classes would improve learning outcomes by around 50 percent, he said.
Nograles described the Alert Level 1 status as the “new normal,” but reminded the people to cooperate with the government, to comply with regulations and take care of their health, and get vaccinated.
He likewise appealed to the fully vaccinated to get their booster shots and to parents with children aged 5 to 11 to have them inoculated.
Under Alert Level 1, intrazonal and interzonal travel shall be allowed without regard to age and comorbidities.
All establishments, persons, or activities are allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken at full on-site or venue/seating capacity provided it is consistent with minimum public health standards.