We are now over six months under quarantine. By the end of September the whole country will have transitioned from Community Quarantine to Enhanced (ECQ) to Modified (MECQ) to General (GCQ) and, hopefully, Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ). It was touch and go for a while but now, maybe the light at the end of the tunnel is starting to appear. Will we make it?
When the National Capital Region transitioned to MECQ in mid-May, the government took its first tentative steps towards re-opening the economy. The balance of saving lives and saving livelihoods is not an easy one because in the end it amounts to the same thing. Selected sectors of the economy were allowed to re-open in a calculated and measured way. As the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) likes to say, “dahan-dahan, hinay-hinay” (slowly, step by step). So now, the task of rebuilding begins.
When the ECQ was implemented, government had its work cut out for itself. They had to release its full arsenal of social and economic nets to make sure that its people and its economy survived the severe restrictions on movement, employment, trade and commerce. It called on the business sector to support its efforts in a big way. And the business sector responded in force.
Various conglomerates in the Philippines mobilized and acted without any hesitation: San Miguel, the Sy’s, the Gokongwei’s, the Ayala’s, Metro Pacific and the Ty Family, among others. The first order of business was to assure its family of employees – direct or extended – that their livelihood would be spoken for during the quarantine. Alfred Ty, Chairman of Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) and Vice Chairman of GT Capital Holdings said, “We will take care of our team members and their families. We depended on them to help grow our business through the years. Now, it is their turn to depend on us.”
Filipinos and businesses were caught totally unprepared by the suddenness with which ECQ was imposed. Many were trapped in work areas and unable to find their way home before roads were closed. Even more were not financially ready for the disruption in earnings. There was a dash to groceries to stock up for the two-week ECQ that eventually rolled into two months. A general air of anxiety prevailed.
So, even before the Bayanihan Act was passed by Congress, the spirit of “malasakit” (caring) spread rapidly - maybe even faster than the pandemic itself. There were lots of grass-roots movements that mushroomed all over. A lot were in aid of front-liners but there was no lack of those wanting to help the most needy in the community, too.
Undoubtedly, though, the efforts by the captains and pillars of business helped immensely. In the GTCapital group and Toyota, jobs were secured and even contractual service personnel were cared for.
In addition, Metrobank and the GT Capital Group set up a P200-million fund to help acquire personal protective equipment for front-liners and other medical equipment for the testing and treatment of COVID-19 patients. One million families were assisted with food relief. Toyota fielded a fleet of almost 50 vehicles to provide transport support in the fight against the SARS Corona virus. It also launched a first-of-its-kind Shuttle-on-Demand service in collaboration with the Department of Transportation (DOTr), to support pockets of essential workers. Other conglomerates have done as much, maybe even more. Truly, the combined efforts of the business sector were a major firewall that prevented the meltdown of society and the economy.
But while assistance during the ECQ was critical to survival, the more compelling mission is rebuilding the nation, post-quarantine. As many would say, no battle is completely won without a well-considered exit strategy. Moving into MECQ and eventually GCQ, I believe that the entire auto industry will have a very significant role to play. Mobility and transportation will be essential drivers for economic recovery, especially in moving people and goods safely, in line with new health protocols.
The opportunities to partner with government are abundant. The Department of Finance and Department of Trade and Industry have identified the stepped-up promotion of new investments, digitalization, the move back to provinces or “balik probinsya” and “Buy Local”. These are exciting directions. Hopefully, they are also able to provide adequate stimulus for automotive demand, particularly locally manufactured ones.
So far, it’s not quite mission accomplished. There is no manual or play book to guide us through this crisis. It is only now being written, for the future generations. This whole virus debacle still has ways to go. But, healing as one and getting back on track towards economic growth is clearly a mission possible – together as one nation.