Tuesday, September 26, 2023
manilastandard.net
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
    • Young Life
  • Special Pages
    • Pets
    • Tech
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • On the Road
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Cravings
    • Environment & Sustainability
    • Agriculture
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
    • Young Life
  • Special Pages
    • Pets
    • Tech
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • On the Road
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Cravings
    • Environment & Sustainability
    • Agriculture
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
manilastandard.net
No Result
View All Result
Home News Top Stories

Workers’ return triggers warning

Maricel CruzbyMaricel Cruz
May 16, 2020, 2:00 am
in Top Stories
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Email

With 14 million workers returning to work and the easing of quarantine rules today, the country could see 2,500 new cases of COVID-19 in the last half of May, a lawmaker said, even as the Department of Health reported 215 new cases Friday, bringing to total to 12,091 infections.

The department also reported 16 new deaths, bringing the total fatalities to 806, while 123 new recoveries brought the number of patients who survived COVID-19 to 2,460.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, chairman of the committee on ways and means, said the decision to ease the lockdown was “economically near-optimal”—balancing the need of workers to resume working and the need to keep the volume of infections under control—but warned that outbreaks are still possible without testing and tracing.

“From an economic optimization standpoint, this means that for fewer new cases (2,535), the new regime will release more workers (14,605,000 newly allowed to go to work) and more economic activity (as much as 10.7 percent of quarterly gross domestic product, or about 2.7 percent of annual GDP), than if, say high-density areas such as Metro Manila or Cebu City were placed under significantly less strict regimes.”

“The 2,500 new cases within two weeks once the quarantine is lifted in some areas, will have to decline every week with testing and tracing. The initial recommendation is for 40,000 tests a day,” he said.

“In terms of the employment impact of Covid-19, we estimate that some 1.09 million Filipino workers have already lost their jobs, with more job losses to come as the full impact of the pandemic on the financial position of companies are quantified. Under the new regime, some 14.6 million workers will be allowed to go to work on-site, on top of the 27.4 million currently allowed to work. This would result in some 34.1 million being allowed to work, with only some 700,000 workers still not allowed to go to work on-site.”

“For the second quarter, we expect to have lost as much as 1.09 million jobs, with about 0.96 million seasonal jobs lost, and some 126,000 permanent job losses. For perspective, to create an equivalent number of jobs in the infrastructure sector, one would need a P94 billion investment,” Salceda added.

The recently announced changes in community quarantine regimes will result in across-the-board increases in mobility, he said.

The Palace on Friday reminded the public that while the government relaxed the guidelines on areas placed under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) and general enhanced community quarantine (GCQ) starting May 16, law enforcement agencies will continue to enforce the appropriate quarantine restrictions.

READ: ‘Transition phase’ rolled out

Palace spokesman Harry Roque said the IATF placed Metro Manila and two other high-risk areas under MECQ while it placed several moderate-risk places under GCQ from May 16 to May 31 to help contain the spread of the coronavirus

Eight regions, 37 provinces, 11 cities, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) areas with low risk of coronavirus infection were placed under “modified general community quarantine (MGCQ)” instead of being removed from the lockdown rule starting May 16.

READ: 37 ’low-risk’ areas put back under quarantine

The local government executives will have guidelines on how to implement the modified GCQ so they will have the authority to contain the spread of the virus. If there is no quarantine, we expect there might be second or third wave (of infection),” he said.

Under the MECQ, some businesses will partially open to boost the economy.

To avoid being stopped in checkpoints, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año urged workers to bring their IDs and certificates of employment when traveling. However, since public transport remains suspended, he said companies should provide shuttle service for their employees.

“We have no area in the entire Philippines that is not under community quarantine at different levels. These low-risk areas will be under modified general community quarantine and we will have guidelines that will be followed by the local government units,” Año said.

Roque said public transport is still prohibited under the MECQ. No domestic flights and only limited international flights will be allowed. Inbound travel of overseas Filipino workers and returning Filipinos will be controlled.

Public shuttles, on the other hand, are allowed under all quarantine zones but it will only be available for frontliners under the ECQ.

Personal vehicles can be used under the MECQ by persons or workers in permitted sectors or activities but only two passengers are allowed per row.

Police said officers would be deployed in malls starting Saturday to ensure social distancing is observed.

In a statement, Joint Task Force Coronavirus Shield (JTF CV Shield) commander, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, said these police officers would assist the security personnel of malls in implementing basic protocols against COVID-19, such as physical distancing and the wearing of face masks.

“With some of the shops inside the malls now allowed to open, we expect an influx of people in these areas so we want to make the police presence felt there in order to ensure that they will strictly follow the rules for their safety from the coronavirus,” Eleazar said.

In other developments:

• IATF is still evaluating the appeal of several provincial governments to place their respective localities under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), Malacañang said on Friday. Various provincial governments have appealed to the IATF to consider the reclassification of their community quarantines from GCQ to MECQ beginning May 16 for fear that a sudden relaxation of restrictions could bring about a new spate of infections.

• At least 102 employees from the Department of Agrarian Reform have been tapped to assist in mega swabbing centers for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing. Primo Lara, DAR’s administrative service director, said the personnel would assist as encoders or bar coders in the four mega swabbing centers to be set up in Greater Manila Area and Bulacan to boost the country’s capability and capacity for mass testing for COVID-19.

• A lawmaker on Friday urged government and private banks to launch a special lending program for millions of small and medium-scale businesses in the country that are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Deputy Majority Leader and Quezon City Rep. Precious Castelo filed the “Loan Program Assistance for SMEs affected by COVID-19 Act” mandating big private universal banks to lend to small businesses. Deputy Majority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernandette Herrera, meanwhile, appealed to banks and other financial institutions to “go the extra mile” in helping pandemic-hit businesses by extending their loan maturities by at least one year.

READ: Street vendors alive again with modified ECQ

READ: Market declines on ‘modified ECQ’

Willie Casas, Vito Barcelo, Rio N. Araja

Tags: COVID-19Department of HealthJoey Sarte Salcedaworkers
ADVERTISEMENT
Maricel Cruz

Maricel Cruz

Related Posts

PCG removes China barrier

byCharles Dantesand2 others
September 26, 2023, 1:00 am
0
8
‘Kontra Bigay’ program set for village elections

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday removed the floating barriers installed by China at a shoal in the West...

Read more

China biggest source of imported fish for PH amid poaching — Recto

byMaricel Cruzand1 others
September 26, 2023, 12:55 am
0
8
No housing for police, soldiers

While it imposes a fishing blockade in the West Philippine Sea, China has become the country’s biggest source of imported...

Read more

Speaker demands OTS chief resign over ‘nefarious activities’ at NAIA

byMaricel Cruz
September 26, 2023, 12:50 am
0
8
For the Diplomatic Corps

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday demanded the resignation of Office for Transportation Security chief Ma’O Aplasca for failing...

Read more

‘OVP spent P125m in confidential funds in 11 days’

byMaricel Cruz
September 26, 2023, 12:45 am
0
8
‘OVP spent P125m in confidential funds in 11 days’

A Congressional leader on Monday said the P125 million in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President...

Read more

DOE sees pressure on oil prices to rise with Russian export halt

byAlena Mae S. Flores
September 26, 2023, 12:40 am
0
8
‘Kontra Bigay’ program set for village elections

The Department of Energy (DOE) on Monday said it will actively monitor the world oil supply situation after the Russian...

Read more

Wushu specialist Inso delivers 2nd bronze for PH contingent in Asiad

byRiera U. Mallari
September 26, 2023, 12:35 am
0
8
‘Kontra Bigay’ program set for village elections

HANGZHOU, China—Taolu wushu specialist Jones Inso stopped the bleeding for a Team Philippines desperately in need of victories to celebrate...

Read more

Print Edition

View More

Recent Posts

  • Pareja falls short in bid for ‘Combative’ award
  • Green Spikers, Tiger Spikers duel in Game 1
  • Pacio faces Malachiev at Fight Night 15
  • Take better photos with realme 11 Pro Series 5G: Essential features that level up mobile photography
  • ‘One Piece’ star Mackenyu Arata to headline ManiPopCon 2023 in Manila
  • Fortuna blows past Uy with solid 7-under 65
  • HONOR sets new standard with HONOR X6a, priced at only P6,990 
  • Infinix ZERO 30 5G launches in PH for under P15,000

Advertisement

Latest News

Fortuna blows past Uy with solid 7-under 65

byManila Standard Sports
September 26, 2023, 7:40 pm
0
8
Van der Valk sets course mark 66, leads by 1

Clark Freeport Zone—Mikha Fortuna barely outdueled Daniella Uy in a frontside shootout but outgunned the two-leg champion in the last...

Read more

HONOR sets new standard with HONOR X6a, priced at only P6,990 

byManila Standard - Tech
September 26, 2023, 7:40 pm
0
8
HONOR sets new standard with HONOR X6a, priced at only P6,990 

Featuring an expansive battery life, eye-caring display, and much more – HONOR X6a is now available for only P6,990 at your nearest HONOR Experience or Partners store or online via Lazada (https://bit.ly/X6aLaz), Shopee...

Read more

Infinix ZERO 30 5G launches in PH for under P15,000

byManila Standard - Tech
September 26, 2023, 7:35 pm
0
8
Infinix ZERO 30 5G launches in PH for under P15,000

The all-new Infinix ZERO 30 5G promises to level up content creation with its high-quality vlogging capabilities. Filipino Infinix fans...

Read more

Van der Valk sets course mark 66, leads by 1

byManila Standard Sports
September 26, 2023, 7:35 pm
0
8
Van der Valk sets course mark 66, leads by 1

Clark Freeport Zone—Guido van der Valk put up a solid start but only pulled ahead on a stirring eagle-spiked windup...

Read more

Digital PR Philippines: BrightPR.io — Steering the Winds of PR Change

byManila Standard Digital
September 26, 2023, 7:34 pm
0
8
Digital PR Philippines: BrightPR.io — Steering the Winds of PR Change

In our fast-paced digital epoch, where every ping signifies opportunity and standing out is paramount, traditional public relations (PR) finds...

Read more

Advertisement

ADVERTISEMENT
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

ABOUT US

Manila Standard

Manila Standard website (manilastandard.net), launched in August 2002, extends the newspaper’s reach beyond its traditional readers and makes its brand of Philippine news and opinion available to a much wider and geographically diverse readership here and overseas.

Digital Edition

In tone and content, the online edition mirrors the editorial thrust of the newspaper. While hewing to the traditional precepts of fairness and objectivity, MS believes the news of the day need not be staid, overly long or dry. Stories are succinct, readable and written in a lively style that has become a hallmark of the newspaper.

Download – Today’s Paper

Search

No Result
View All Result

6th Floor Universal Re Bldg., 106 Paseo De Roxas cor. Perea Street, Legaspi Village, 1226 Makati City Philippines

Trunklines: 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
    • Young Life
  • Pets
  • Tech
    • Gadgets
    • Computers
    • Business
    • Tech Plus
  • ON THE ROAD
    • Sedan
    • SUV
    • Truck
    • Bike
    • Accessories
    • Motoring Plus
    • Commuter’s Corner
  • Home & Design
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Construction
    • Interior
  • Spotlight
  • Cravings
  • Environment & Sustainability
  • Agriculture
  • Pop.Life
    • Newsmakers
    • Hangouts
    • A-Pop
    • Post Its
    • Performances
    • Malls & Bazaars
    • Hobbies & Collections
  • Events
    • Seminars
    • Exhibits
    • Community
  • Biyahero
    • Travel Features
    • Travel Reels
    • Travel Logs
  • Gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Advertise with Us

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Install Manila Standard Web App

Install App