Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the Duterte administration is already preparing the country to bounce back to a more dynamic economy post-pandemic as it strived to curb the impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
In a statement, Andanar said the administration was already in the process of laying better foundations to be carried forward and hopefully be improved by its successor.
"The President will prepare the road for the next administration so that we can bounce back to where we were before the pandemic and even go beyond that in terms of the status of our economy, job creation, social services, and peace and order, among others," he said in an interview.
Andanar stressed that the remaining 10 months of President Duterte's leadership will be crucial in terms of setting the direction of the country and handing it over to the next leader.
"Whatever President Duterte does in the last 10 months of his term will be crucial for the next administration. We are hoping that the next administration will be post-pandemic already," he said.
Andanar likewise called for the full cooperation of the Filipino people in fighting the pandemic while the government continued to address the needs of the multisectoral public.
"The country has to reach higher milestones. That’s why we are seeking your 100% corporation. We must be in one direction and embody the spirit of bayanihan (unity)," he said.
"We are preparing the climate for the next administration’s work to rebuild our country from the effects of the COVID-19)," he added.
As the country continued to experience a high number of daily COVID-19 cases, top national and local government units and mayors of the National Capital Region (NCR) are set to lead discussions on how to safely reopen the economy on Monday, August 23.
NCR was placed under a two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to save the fourth quarter that is deemed to be an important time for businesses to make up for what they have lost during the pandemic.