Press Release
April 2, 2020

Comments on the Report of the President to the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee by Sen. Pia Cayetano

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Under Section 5 of Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, the President is mandated to submit a weekly report on theacts performed pursuant to the law.

Thus, the President submitted an eighteen (18)-page report to the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. It contained details on the various measures being undertaken by government agencies to aid Filipinos during the COVID-19 emergency, including those which have already been started before the passage of the law.

Based on the initial measures of the government, my main recommendations are on: (1) subsidy; (2) health; (3) supply chain; and (4) LGUs' parallel efforts.

1. On subsidy, it is worth recalling that during the Senate deliberations on the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, everyone understood and agreed on the necessity and urgency of downloading Php 200 billion to support around 18 million Filipino families during the Enhanced Community Quarantine. In fact, the Emergency Subsidy Program has been repeatedly pointed out as one of the main features of the law. As such, there is a need to fast track its implementation, as well as the other programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Agriculture (DA) and other agencies as these will provide the much needed assistance to the Filipino families.

2. On health, unfortunately the Report did not include much details. For that reason, I have chosen to focus on the six (6) key actions that were identified by the World Health Organization (WHO), and ask that the Department of Health (DOH) align their efforts and explain their response not only to the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee, but also to other stakeholders, such as Local Government Units (LGUs), health care workers, and other relevant groups. These six (6) key actions are listed in my recommendations. In addition:

a. Testing Kits and Lab Accreditation. In the past weeks FDA has approved more testing kits. It is also welcome news that along with RITM, five (5) other hospitals are also accredited to run COVID-19 tests. Having said that, DOH should continuously accredit more laboratories to facilitate prompt testing. We are cognizant of the hazards associated with operating the laboratories that will run the tests, but the urgency of accreditation is upon us. Furthermore, the DOH should likewise inform the public of any new technologies that will improve the efficiency and accuracy of testing.

b. Availability of PPEs. Cognizant of the world shortage on PPEs, it becomes all the more important for DOH to project the needs per hospital, coupled with prompt allocation and distribution to public and private hospitals, as required by the law. The allocation and distribution should also include national- and LGU- run emergency isolation/quarantine areas. I am currently going over recommendations from different health experts, but I call on DOH to provide us with their own projections.

3. On the supply chain, the enhanced quarantine over the entire Luzon and the subsequent declarations of various LGUs require closer coordination between the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to ensure the flow of agricultural products. The same can be said for other essential supplies that require the intervention and close coordination of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) with DILG.

4. Finally, on the parallel efforts of LGUs, I recommend that the DILG and DOH provide technical assistance to LGUs in creating the guidelines for identifying and assessing possible sites within their jurisdiction that can be used as possible infirmary/isolation facilities to augment the existing healthcare facilities in their respective jurisdictions.

II. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PRESIDENT'S REPORT (WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)

  • In compliance with the directive under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, the President delivered a live report on the measures adopted to address COVID-19 and submitted an 18-page report to the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee.

  • The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act was enacted last 24 March 2020, and its implementation addressed in a Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated 28 March 2020, authorizing several officials to exercise the powers prescribed under the law.

  •  The President delegated most of the powers to specific officials, clearly laying down their responsibilities, emphasizing the need for expediency and giving them sufficient authority so they do not have to ask for clearance from the Office of the President for every action they have to take.

  •  Only two powers are reserved for the President, which was deemed to have the gravest potential impact on the private sector, and will only be exercised by him when absolutely necessary --

    •  The power to direct the operation of specified private establishments or to take over their operations under very specific conditions (Section 4 (h)); and

    • The power to require businesses to prioritize contracts for materials and services necessary for the pandemic. (Section 4 (q))

  •  The government's key measures to respond to the pandemic have three main priorities:

    •  Providing emergency assistance to affected sectors;

    • Securing facilities and resources for the health sector; and

    •  Performing fiscal and monetary actions for the economy.

1. On the Emergency Subsidy Program

  •  The IATF-EID approved a Joint Memorandum Circular for the implementation of the Emergency Subsidy Program (Php 5,000-8,000) to cover the months of April and May 2020 for around 18 million low-income families.

    • As reported by CNN Philippines last 30 March 2020, DSWD is now distributing "Social Amelioration Cards" which will serve as the basis for cash assistance.1

    • As reported by the Philippine News Agency yesterday, 31 March 2020, DSWD has started coordinating with various LGUs for the distribution of the Social Amelioration Package to help Filipinos during the coronavirus crisis. According to the DSWD, they have started with the profiling using the social amelioration cards and LGUs are set to submit the list of beneficiaries.2

2. On DSWD Programs which are aligned with the Emergency Subsidy Program

  •  DSWD implemented an Expanded and Enhanced Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program which shall be implemented for two (2) months.

  • 4,753 beneficiaries were served by DSWD, from 13 March to 29 March 2020, under the Food and Non-food Items (FNI) Distribution, which amounts to Php22,315,982.38. DSWD has also procured 69,200 family food packs which are targeted to benefit at least 69,200 families or 346,000 individuals.

  • As of 23 March 2020, residents from Quezon City, Manila, Rizal, San Juan, Taguig City, Caloocan City, Cavite City, and Bulacan, among others, already received aid under DSWD's Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS). AICS provides outright cash assistance in the amount of P3,000.00 to P5,000.00 to targeted beneficiaries.

3. On the DOLE Beneficiaries

  • 8,641 beneficiaries received Php 5000 financial assistance from under the DOLE's COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP).

    • As reported in Inquirer.net, over 8,000 workers who were displaced due to the COVID-19 pandemic received cash assistance from the DOLE.3

  • DOLE also implemented the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) Program wherein a beneficiary works for a 10-day disinfection/sanitation of his/her house and its vicinity to be paid based on the regional minimum wage.

    • As reported by Business Mirror, there are 8,499 beneficiaries for Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) Program.4

  • The current total number of beneficiaries of DOLE is 51,293.

  • As of date, the total amount disbursed for CAMP and TUPAD is Php95,430,782.00, almost Php 100 million.

4. On the Additional Compensation of Health Workers and Other Employees

  • COVID-19 Special Risk Allowance is provided under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. DBM is currently drafting an executive issuance for this for all public health workers, in addition to the hazard pay granted under the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers.

  • DBM issued Budget Circular No. 2020-1 (24 March 2020) on the grant of COVID-19 Hazard Pay to government employees and workers engaged through the contract of service or job order basis, who physically report for work during the Enhanced Community Quarantine.

5. On the Testing Kits

  • To expedite and streamline the accreditation of testing kits and facilitate prompt testing, the DOST provided Php 53.2 million funding for the GenAmplifyTM COVID-19 rPT-PCR Detection kit

    • FDA approved five (5) rapid test kits last 30 March 2020. The approval of said test kits will allow more people to have access to testing but DOH cautioned that proper evaluation and safeguards will still be in place.

    • Also, almost 90,000 test kits have now been distributed to different hospitals. RITM has also stated it has expanded its capacity to do the tests. And DOH also advised that more hospitals are to be accredited soon.

6. On Health Infrastructure

  •  DOTr is studying the deployment of "floating quarantine hospitals" on ships fitted with the required medical equipment, to help unburden hospitals.

  •  DPWH created a task force to facilitate the conversion and utilization of different public buildings and evacuation centers as health facilities and emergency operation centers or food hubs.

    • The task force has prepared the conversion of 110 evacuation centers, 19 are now being utilized as health facilities, and 15 are used as emergency operation centers or food hubs.

      • As reported in GMA News Online, 125 evacuation centers could be converted to serve as COVID-19 health facilities. 110 evacuation centers have been completed with access to both power and water.5

    • It is also looking into the conversion of public buildings and open spaces to establish treatment facilities and isolation centers.

7. On Food Security and the Free Flow of Essential Goods

  •  DA has formulated the Food Resiliency Action plan to ensure food security in Metro Manila during the quarantine period.

  • DA has also reported that basic food requirements (rice, fish, pork, chicken and vegetables) nationwide are sufficient, with the national rice inventory this quarter enough to last for the next 75 days.

8. On the Moratorium of Loan Payments by DTI

  • 127,000 micro enterprises benefited from the moratorium on payment of loan under the Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso Program.

  • 15,000 micro, small and medium enterprises under the Small Business Corporation (SBCorp) corporate-funded loan portfolios benefited from the moratorium on payment of loans.

  •  Declaration of 3-month moratorium on payment of loan amortization by the following GOCCs:

a) Home Development Mutual Fund

- Php 13.8B housing loan payments of 1 million borrowers

- Php 16.7B multipurpose and other short term loans of 4 million borrowers

b) National Housing Authority

- Php 450M loan repayment/amortization dues covering a total of 263,611 residential accounts

c) Social Housing Finance Corporation

- Php 300M worth of monthly collection from some 240,000 informal settler families

d) National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation

- Php 165.5M in borrower's payments for more than 18,000 housing units

III. RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the initial measures detailed above, my main recommendations are on: (1) subsidy; (2) health; (3) supply chain; and (4) LGUs' parallel efforts.

1. Subsidy

During the Senate deliberations on the bill, everyone agreed on the necessity and urgency of downloading the Php 200 billion to around 18 million Filipino families. I cannot overemphasize the urgency of this matter.

The Emergency Subsidy Program has been repeatedly pointed out as one of the main features of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.

Understandably, 18 million families across the country is a large number. As such, there is a need to fast track its implementation as well as the other programs of the DSWD, DOLE, DA and other agencies, as these will provide the much needed assistance to the Filipino families.

The DSWD should also provide a more detailed report of the implementation of the Emergency Subsidy Program by providing the number of beneficiaries, areas covered, and amount spent. By providing these relevant data, the government can identify the people who have not yet received assistance and determine the proper allocation of funds.

2. Health

The WHO identified six key actions in addressing the current COVID-19 pandemic:

1) Expand, train and deploy your health care and public health workers;

2) Implement a system to find every suspected case at community level;

3) Ramp up the production, capacity and availability of testing;

4) Identify, adapt and equip facilities you will use to treat and isolate patients;

5) Develop a clear plan and process to quarantine contacts;

6) Refocus the whole of government on suppressing and controlling COVID-19.

The DOH should explain their plan of action and how it aligns with these recommendations. It is expected that this will be included in the next report to the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee, but also to other stakeholders, such as LGUs, health care workers, and other relevant groups.

In the past weeks FDA has approved more testing kits. It is also welcome news that along with RITM, five (5) other hospitals are also accredited to run COVID-19 tests. Having said that, DOH should continuously accredit more laboratories to facilitate prompt testing. We are cognizant of the hazards associated with operating the laboratories that will run the tests, but the urgency of accreditation is upon us. Furthermore, the DOH should likewise inform the public of any new technologies that will improve the efficiency and accuracy of testing.

Section 4(k) of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act requires the government to procure medical supplies and equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPEs). These supplies should be allocated and distributed to:

  •  Public health facilities that are designated as COVID-19 referral hospitals;

  •  Private hospitals which have existing capacities to provide support care and treatment to COVID-19 patients; and

  •  Public and private laboratories that have existing capacities to test suspected COVID-19 patients.

According to DOH, 1 million PPEs worth Php 1.8 billion are already on the way. The purchase of additional PPEs is a welcome development but cognizant of the world shortage on PPEs, it becomes all the more important for DOH to project the needs per hospital, coupled with prompt allocation and distribution to public and private hospitals, as required by the law. The allocation and distribution should also include national- and LGU- run emergency isolation/quarantine areas. I am currently going over recommendations from different health experts, but call on DOH to provide us with their own projections.

3. Supply Chain

DILG has issued several Advisory Opinions to ensure unrestricted movement of food supply, cargo, and business personnel. Despite this, there is a need to further improve the free flow of supply. We have received reports that La Trinidad, Benguet is closed. In fact, the vegetable cooperative we have been supporting for years has been unable to sell their products. There are similar reports of restricted movement in Ifugao and the Cordillera region in general.

The enhanced quarantine over the entire Luzon and the subsequent declarations of various LGUs require closer coordination between the DA, DILG, and the PNP to ensure the flow of agricultural products. The same can be said for other essential supplies that require the intervention and close coordination of DTI with DILG.

4. Local Government Units (LGUs) Parallel Efforts

The repurposing of various public facilities such as the PhilippineInternational Convention Center (PICC), World Trade Center (WTC), Rizal Memorial Coliseum, and Philsports Arena as infirmary/isolation facilities is a welcome development. This will be much needed given the trajectory and projections that there will be a significant increase in the cases of COVID-19 positive in the country.

Since time is of the essence in our fight against this pandemic, LGUs should also start identifying and assessing possible sites within their jurisdiction that can be used as possible infirmary/isolation facilities.

They should start preparing for the possible scenario that more of their constituents could become COVID-19 positive and their existing healthcare facilities will not be able to handle such a situation. Thus, I recommend that the DILG and DOH provide technical assistance to LGUs in creating the guidelines for identifying and assessing possible sites within their jurisdiction that can be used as possible infirmary/isolation facilities to augment the existing healthcare facilities in their respective jurisdictions.

__________

1. https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/3/30/dswd-coronavirus-cash-aid.html

2. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1098343

 3. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1251716/over-8000-workers-displaced-by-covid-19-receive-cash-aid-from-dole

 4. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/03/29/dole-releases-p90-m-aid-for-covid-impacted-workers/

 5. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/730721/125-evacuation-centers-can-be-used-as-covid-19-facilities-dpwh/story/

 

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