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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Concepcion, Abalos to lead discussions on safer ways to reopen economy

Concepcion, Abalos to lead discussions on safer ways to reopen economy

Published Aug 22, 2021 03:39 pm

Top national and local government officials, National Capital Region (NCR) mayors, and other experts are set to hold a town hall to discuss ways on how to safely reopen the economy amid the ongoing threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos (Manila Bulletin file photos/RTVM screenshots)

The said town hall will be led by Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos. It can be streamed on Go Negosyo's Facebook Page on August 23 at 9 a.m.

Those expected to join the discussions are leaders of the government's pandemic task force namely Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Metro Manila mayors.

Joining the discussion to deliver a data-based situationer on COVID-19 in the Philippines are Department of Health Epidemiology Bureau Medical Specialist Dr. Alethea de Guzman and the OCTA Research Group’s Fr. Nicanor Austriaco and Prof. Guido David.

Epidemiologist and senior technical adviser Dr. John Wong of Epimetrics was set to present ways the country can undertake following the lockdowns. Several Metro Manila mayors will also be on hand to provide their respective inputs during the discussion.

The town hall meeting is being held a few days following a two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) lockdown in the NCR amid the rising cases of COVID-19 and the spread of the Delta variant.

Metro Manila and Laguna were downgraded to modified ECQ (MECQ) beginning on August 21 until August 31. Bataan was also downgraded to MECQ starting August 23 until the end of the month.

It can be recalled that several proposals, including the restriction of movement of unvaccinated persons and the opening of business establishments exclusively for fully vaccinated persons, were put forward by the private sector. Malacañang had earlier expressed that it will consider such proposals once 50 percent of the NCR’s population is fully vaccinated.

This was not the first town hall that Concepcion and Abalos led to discuss how the country can deal with the ongoing crisis. Early this month, they led discussions on how the country can take advantage of the ECQ period.

In the first town hall this month, Concepcion said the private sector made the right decision to suggest placing NCR under ECQ as something "more challenging" will face the country if the government did not decide to do so.

Related Tags

town hall Go Negosyo Joey Concepcion reopening of economy covid-19 Benhur Abalos
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