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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Consult MSMEs before imposing lockdowns, Poe tells IATF

Consult MSMEs before imposing lockdowns, Poe tells IATF

Published Aug 9, 2021 05:19 pm

Senator Grace Poe on Monday, August 9, appealed to the government's pandemic task force to consider micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in deciding to impose stricter lockdowns in the Philippines.

President Rodrigo Duterte presides over a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members prior to his talk to the people at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on August 2, 2021. (Malacañang)

In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, Poe said MSMEs should be represented in the Interagency Task Force (IATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease to minimize the impact of strict quarantine protocols on their businesses.

"And we’ve seen that in the past weeks the very abrupt decisions and policies of the IATF on the closures of business have really negatively impacted many of the small business owners," said Poe, referring to the reimposition of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) starting last August 6.

“Business owners are not really aware that there’s going to be a lockdown the following day until the very last minute, and they’ve already planned for the entire week especially since the weekend can make or break some businesses. So while they’re in agreement that we should have some sort of a lockdown, a good lead time will be very important,” she added.

Poe stressed that MSMEs comprise 99 percent of businesses in the country. "That’s about a million businesses and about five million people at the minimum rely on these MSMEs," she said.

The lawmaker earlier filed Senate Resolution No. 817, which calls for a Senate inquiry to to look into the impacts of community quarantine protocols to MSMEs, especially those in the food and beverage industry.

"We need a more holistic and informed decision by including those in the MSMEs at the table of the decision-making process of the executive," she appealed.

“It is incumbent upon them to be inclusive in their consultations. We don’t have to have 100 people at the table, we just need to have a representative, I don’t think it’s too much to ask to have that,” Poe said in a separate statement.

The IATF was created by virtue of Executive Order No. 168 signed by former President Benigno Aquino III in 2014. Under the issuance, the task force shall be composed of the Department of Health (DOH) as chairperson, with the representatives of the departments of foreign affairs, interior and local government, justice, labor, tourism and transportation as members.

Currently, the IATF is being led by Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles and DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III, with meetings also being attended by secretaries of the Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Related Tags

Economic recovery MSME covid-19 pandemic response Grace Poe quarantine lockdown
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