Malacañang said that the government's new Ten-Point Agenda on Economic Recovery is not the Duterte Administration's exit plan from Covid-19 but is a part of making the country more resilient under the New Normal.
Communications Secretary Martin Andanar made the statement after Malacañang issued Executive Order No. 166 on adopting the Ten-Point Agenda on Economic Recovery on March 21.
In a statement on Thursday morning, March 24, Andanar said they do not agree that the policy agenda is an exit plan from Covid-19.
"We do not share the view that this is the current Administration's exit plan for this forms part of the country's preparation to build resilience under the New Normal, which we are certain would be carried on by the succeeding administrations," he said.
He compared it to how the Duterte Administration adopted the previous Aquino government's Executive Order No. 168 and created the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Philippines.
"Unless Executive Order No.166 is modified or revoked, it would remain effective and operational," Andanar said.
The Ten-Point Agenda on Economic Recovery aims to sustain and accelerate economic recovery and to drive broad-based expansions across various productive sectors amid the challenges brought by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The new policy takes on a whole-of-government approach to align all economic recovery programs and measures of the national government.
“There is an urgent need to adopt policies on economic recovery to sustain current economic gains, minimize the pandemic’s long-term adverse effects, and restore the country’s development trajectory,” the EO read.
The Ten-Point Agenda keeps the existing Alert Levels System while easing restrictions on domestic and international travel, public transport capacity, and allowing face-to-face classes, among others.
The EO directs all government offices, including all local government units (LGUs) and state universities and colleges, to ensure that all related policies, measures, and programs are aligned with the following principles:
- Strengthen healthcare capacity
- Accelerate and expand the vaccination program
- The further reopening of the economy and expand public transport capacity
- Resume face-to-face learning
- Reduce restrictions on domestic travel and standardize LGU requirements
- Relax requirements for international travel
- Accelerate digital transformation through legislative measures
- Provide for enhanced and flexible emergency measures through legislation
- Shift the focus of decision-making and government reporting to more useful empowering metrics
- Medium-term preparation for pandemic resilience