Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon on Wednesday said he supports Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III’s recommendation to loosen quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila, Calabarzon and other regional powerhouses in the country, saying this is fundamental in reviving the economy and providing jobs for workers displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I support Secretary Dominguez’s call to ease restrictions in the National Capital Region and Calabarzon and put them under the  modified general community quarantine,” Drilon said in a statement.

“I’m afraid that any further delay in the easing of quarantine restrictions in these two economic centers will cause further damage to our economy and our people who have lost their livelihood,” Drilon stressed. 

“The full opening of the economy in the country’s economy centers and the country’s seat of power, Metro Manila, is vital in our goal to revive the economy and provide jobs for our displaced workers,” he further said.

The senator said he agrees that Metro Manila and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) are among the top two contributors to the national economy. Half of the country’s manufacturing special economic zones are located in Region IV-A and make up 67 percent of the country’s economy.

“The sooner we can bring back normalcy in these two regions the better chance we have of rebuilding our economy,” he said.

Drilon noted that based on the projection of the National Economic Development Authority, the Philippine economy is likely to contract by 4.3 percent to 4 percent by the end of 2020; even British banking giant, HSBC, projected a full-year contraction rate of 3.85 percent.

The Senate minority chief warned the government against adopting a shotgun approach to the pandemic, saying it does little to contain the virus as the number of cases in the country hit 36,438 as of June 30.

He pointed to the World Health Organizations (WHO) assessment of the Philippines as the country with the fastest COVID-19 infection rate in the Western Pacific region, despite imposing the longest lockdown among other countries affected by the pandemic.

The senator said the economic damage of the COVID-19 pandemic could have been avoided or minimized if the government did not implement aggressive lockdowns and harsh quarantine measures based on questionable data.

“It did nothing to contain the virus but only created fear among Filipinos and put the once strong and resilient Philippine economy to complete standstill,” he lamented.

“(The) COVID-19 pandemic is principally a health issue, not simply a question of law and order. The three Ts in the fight against covid 19– testing, tracking and treatment—should be strengthened,” Drilon stressed.

“Where are we in terms of the  three Ts? No one has heard of a coordinated overall plan,” he pointed out.

“Why are our neighbors Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea succeeding in this fight, and we are not?” Drilon emphasized.