Senators on Tuesday called on the government to carefully examine and study recommendations that seek to eliminate the current COVID-19 alert system in place in favor of a more endemic mindset.
Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said he agrees with the proposal but said the government should consider studying the experience of other economies before making a policy decision.
“I agree...Before making that policy decision, we may consider looking at the experiences in other European countries that are already in that state,” Lacson said.
“Our economy has taken a beating from the lockdowns and imposed alert levels over the past two years. It is time to give it the needed break to recover. In doing so, we should act faster than we used to do in our data gathering with due consideration to science which can be provided by our health experts in consultation with their foreign counterparts,” added Lacson.
“As always, in situations like this, the key is a sense of urgency ,” he also said.
Earlier, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) said it will look into recommendations to get rid of the alert level system. Socioeconomic planning Secretary Karl Chua, in a Monday briefing, said it is high-time the government begins the shift from a pandemic to a more endemic mindset as part of the country’s exit plan from the pandemic.
It was presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion who floated the idea of the Philippines eventually eliminating the alert level system.
But Sen. Nancy Binay said such move may not be feasible since the Philippines is still far from an endemic state of public health.
“Medyo malabo ang ganyang proposal kasi wala pa tayo sa (that kind of proposal is doubtful because we’re not yet in the) endemic state of public health. It is ideal that we embrace and accept COVID as part of our daily lives, but we have yet to put in place health safeguards, at halos kalahati pa ng populasyon natin ay hindi pa bakunado (and almost half of the population is not yet vaccinated),” she said.
“If we totally eliminate alert levels, then it's like letting everyone walk through a dark tunnel without any guide lights...If that's the government's exit plan, then mukhang wala pa rin tayong lagusang lalabasan laban sa COVID (then it seems we still have no way to exit this fight against COVID),” she pointed out.
Senator Sonny Angara, on the other hand, said he sees no problem with the proposal noting that it is imperative for the government to adjust its response since the COVID-19 is also mutating.
“Nag mu mutate at nag-iibang anyo itong virus kaya ok na din na nagbabago ang ating response at polisiya; ginagawa na din ito ng ibang bansa. Makaka tulong Ito sa mga naghihirap para makabangon muli (This virus is already changing and mutating, so it’s okay for me to change our response and policies; this is also being done in other countries. This would help the poor so they can rise again),” Angara said.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalin, meanwhile, said he is in favor of removing the alert system gradually—or about the second half of the year.
“We have learned from this Omicron surge that the vaccines are effective as it prevented our hospitals from being overwhelmed,” Gatchalian said.
“In order to boost our economy and lower down unemployment is to gradually go back to our normal lives by learning to live with the virus. Gov't should continue to push: Booster shots in urban areas; vaccination of 5 to 11 year olds; and increase vaccination rates in rural areas,” he further said.
Gatchalian reiterated that vaccination is the only way for the Philippines to exit the COVID-19 pandemic.