ECQ extension to cost economy billions, says ECOP

The one-week extension of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in NCR Plus will cost billions of losses to the economy, according to the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP).

ECOP president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. over the weekend raised concerns, as the country was again forced to impose the strictest quarantine measures amid a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases being reported.

"Yung unang ECQ sa Holy Week, minimal lang 'yun dahil actually para lang nagdeklara ng dalawang araw na holiday 'yun eh. Talagang wala namang pasok 'yun eh. Pero itong another extension na one week, bilyon ang cost nito. Bilyon-bilyon ito sa cost ng economy nito," he said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, as quoted in a report by Dano Tingcungco on GMA's "24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday.

(The first ECQ during the Holy Week had a minimal effect because it was just like declaring two holidays, which were really non-working days. But this one-week extension will cost billions to the economy.)

"Noon pa namin sinasabi 'yung para hindi ma-overwhelm ang mga ospital noong last year pa, dapat tuluy-tuloy ang lagay ng quarantine areas. Hindi tayo mawawalan ng bilyun-bilyon sa lockdown kung ginagawa lang nila, may foresight sila," he added.

(We've been saying for a long time, since last year, that in order not to overwhelm the hospitals, the enforcement of quarantine areas should have been continuous. We wouldn't lose billions from the lockdown if they had done that, if they had foresight.)

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. over the weekend announced the extension of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for at least a week. The restrictions covering NCR Plus started on March 29 and were initially scheduled to last only until April 4 but were extended to April 11.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) earlier said another two-week modified enhanced community quarantine—one notch lower than the ECQ—would bring about P2.1 billion daily losses, raise the number of hungry Filipinos by 58,000; and increase unemployed Filipinos by 128,500.

The latest quarantine measures were announced a year into the lockdowns in the Philippines, the world's longest lockdown.

The country on Sunday, April 4, reported 11,028 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 to bring the total to 795,051. This includes 135,526 active cases; 646,100 recoveries; and 13,425 deaths. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News