Business groups welcome shift to Level 2

MANILA, Philippines — The Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) welcomed Metro Manila’s shift to Alert Level 2, citing its positive impact on the economy and jobs.

In a statement yesterday, FINEX president Francisco Ed Lim said the group sees the government’s decision to place the National Capital Region (NCR) under Alert Level 2 as a welcome development.

“This is truly positive news for our struggling economy, considering that the region contributes more than 30 percent of the gross domestic product,” he said.

He said the de-escalation of the alert level status in Metro Manila is also expected to bring back jobs and income to enable more people to enjoy the Christmas season.

“We note that the guidelines mostly limit the benefit of the declaration to the fully vaccinated. In this light, we are hopeful that the government continues its efforts to vaccinate as many of our people at the soonest possible time,” he said.

The group also called on everyone to get vaccinated against COVID-19. “We likewise urge our people to continue observing the health protocols put in place by the government,” he added.

Metro Manila, which was previously under Alert Level 3, moved to Alert Level 2 last Friday, allowing businesses to operate at higher capacity.

In particular, several businesses including dine-in restaurants, personal care service establishments, gyms and venues for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions are allowed to operate at 50 percent indoor capacity for fully vaccinated individuals.

For outdoor operations, business establishments can operate at 70 percent capacity, provided all employees are fully vaccinated.

Given the high vaccination rate in NCR, business establishments in the area can get an additional 20 percent capacity and another 10 percent if they have secured a safety seal. The Alert Level 2 status is in effect until Nov. 21.

The Department of Health (DOH) stressed the de-escalation to Alert Level 2 is justified and “not sudden.”

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire made this clear at a public hearing, saying the decision to shift to Alert Level 2 was based on “different metrics.”

She added the DOH was able to monitor the situation in the provinces and this led to the decision to deescalate its status

“Since last two weeks, we saw that the health care utilization in the region was decreasing. Now, its bed occupancy is less than 50 percent,” she underscored.

The DOH also observed that NCR’s “two-week growth rate was already negative.” This refers to the number of cases for the last two weeks, compared to the average daily cases the previous two weeks.

Vergeire said they have been closely monitoring NCR’s average daily attack rate or ADAR which refers to the percentage of the at-risk population that gets infected during a specific time interval.

“Before, its ADAR was 10 but now it’s just five so this is less than seven. That’s why they have been classified as low risk and deescalated to Alert Level 2,” she added

But the official reiterated the DOH’s call for continued vigilance and adherence to basic health protocols.

She said that while children are now allowed to go out of their homes, parents and guardians should remain selective of the places they visit or stay.

“We appeal to the parents and guardians that if it is not favorable for their children to go to a place which, for instance is crowded, don’t let them go anymore. The virus is still around,” Vergeire added.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar has ordered police commanders outside the NCR to prepare for the nationwide implementation of the COVID-19 alert level system next month.

Eleazar said provincial and city police officials should start familiarizing themselves with the guidelines for each alert level under the system to ensure rules are properly implemented.

“There are different rules in the alert level system, therefore every policeman should be familiar with it so there will be no confusion in the enforcement of rules,” Eleazar said in a statement in Filipino.

He said enforcers should be ready to deal with greater number of people now allowed outdoors. With more people going out of their homes, criminal activities are likely to spike, hence the need for law enforcers to be on higher alert.

“It has been proven that the alert system is effective in trimming COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila. Therefore, the PNP will help ensure the success of the system on a nationwide basis,” he said. – Sheila Crisostomo, Emmanuel Tupas