Frameworks for the future

As parts of the nation emerge from the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) regime and into the less stringent General Community Quarantine (GCQ) arrangement, both the government and ordinary citizens are finding ways to recalibrate our daily routines to encompass our needs for communal life and work in a world where COVID-19 remains a real threat to ourselves and our loved ones. As I’ve written before, this will likely be a time of transition, and the easing of restrictions will in some ways make things more difficult and stressful. The prime directive under the ECQ was not an easy one but it was a simple one – do not leave your home unless for essentials or emergencies. But once that restriction is loosened and more of us begin to return to on-site work, keeping ourselves and our families safe becomes more complicated. How do we protect ourselves when we are now once again in a social environment that is filled with factors we cannot directly control? With greater freedom comes greater uncertainty, and while that is certainly a price many are willing to pay, that doesn’t make the choice any easier.

The government remains the entity with the primary responsibility of guiding Filipinos through this trying time. That being said, there is no certain road map for what a re-opening of the country should look like – as we have seen from our survey of other nations who are undergoing the same process, all we can do is base our plans on expert scientific and medical advice, and be willing to make adjustments as more data arrives. The framework for these attempts will come in the form of legislation, and it may be helpful for our preparation to take a look at some of these proposals that have been filed or will be filed in the houses of Congress, even before they have become law. The text of some of these bills have not been made publicly available (yet at the time I write this), but we can gain an understanding of them from press releases and media coverage.

The bills that attempt to form the backbone of the next stage of the government’s response to the pandemic, are those which attempt to define the so-called “New Normal.” The leadership of the House of Representatives have collaborated on House Bill 6623 or the “New Normal for the Workplace and Public Spaces Act of 2020.”  The bill includes a list of universal and mandatory safety measures (including mandatory wearing of masks in public places and workplaces, physical and social distancing measured at least one but preferably two meters, schedules for pedestrians travelling to and from work, and the procurement of the necessary implements for mass testing); directives for the management and monitoring of spaces, workplaces, food services, commercial stores, salons and spas, construction sites and industrial workplaces, and public transportation; workplace specific protocols; and the responsibilities of LGUs, GOCCs, and national government offices. It will require the submission of detailed plans for workforce management from private companies, and implement workspace specific protocols for food services, commercial stores, and schools as well as delegating specific responsibilities to GOCCs and national government offices. If passed into law, it shall have a term of three years or until the declaration of the President, to be issued as recommended by the IATF, when a viable vaccine has contained or eradicated COVID-19.

In the Senate, Senator Pacquiao has also voiced his intent to file a similar bill, which would include the creation of a nationwide communication database for families for purposes of notification and the provision of monetary aid through virtual wallets.

While a general framework to provide new signposts for everyday conduct is essential, more specific legislation will also be necessary to address specific problems or issues. One of these is the discrimination and paranoia being faced by those who have been or who are rumored to have been exposed to COVID-19, whether these be diagnosed patients, PUIs or PUMs – and, heartbreakingly, the very frontliners who have been toiling selflessly to save lives. We’ve all heard reports of the deplorable attacks committed against our healthcare workers, and while few in number, even one such attack is too many. Senator Hontiveros has filed Senate Bill No. 1436 or the “Mandatory Protection of Health Workers, Frontliners and Patients Act” to protect these sectors against such unwarranted attacks. Hontiveros also seeks to grant additional protection to workers (both in the public and private sectors) through Senate Bill 1441, or the “Balik Trabahong Ligtas Act,” which aims to provide health coverage under PhilHealth to all workers (including contractual, contract probationary, etc.) who are required to work outside their homes during the pandemic.

 There are also bills that look ahead to preparing for pandemics beyond COVID-19, now that the threat they pose is crystal clear. Both Senators Poe and Gordon have filed bills seeking to create a Center for Disease Control in the country to better prepare for future health crises, allowing the government to not only be reactive but proactive as well. Senator Angara also plans to file a bill that would create a remote eHealth system in the country that would provide “telehealth and telemedicine.”

With both houses of Congress now back in session – albeit one that is a mix of physical and virtual attendance – we can expect more prospective pieces of legislation to be filed, aimed at continuing the fight against COVID-19 and getting the nation back on its feet. As a former legislator myself, I urge the members of the Senate and the House to not only be active bill drafters, but active listeners as well, particularly to the people who have firsthand experience of the problems and issues that they experienced during the long, turbulent days since the ECQ was first imposed. This is a time of transition, an unprecedented period in the world’s history, and our citizens who have made such large sacrifices over the last few months, some of whom have lost friends and loved ones in the battle, deserve to have a seat at the table when it comes to what happens next. Guided by science and medical expertise, and always with an eye towards protecting the vulnerable and preserving the values enshrined in our Constitution, we must build the legal and regulatory pathway that will allow us to move forward into a better, healthier tomorrow.