Manila Bulletin
Philippines
VP tells gov't to prepare for 'new normal,' cites public fear remains after quarantine
Philippines
VP tells gov't to prepare for 'new normal,' cites public fear remains after quarantine
VP tells gov't to prepare for 'new normal,' cites public fear remains after quarantine
Published May 13, 2020 12:00 am
By Raymund Antonio
Vice President Leni Robredo urged the administration to prepare, as early as now, for the transition to the “new normal” while Metro Manila and other areas are still under the quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Vice-President Leni Robredo
(Mark Balmores / MANILA BULLETIN) Lockdown measures will be eased in most parts of the country starting on Saturday, May 16, but a modified enhanced community quarantine is extended in Metro Manila, Laguna, and Cebu City until the end of the month. Under a modified ECQ, the movement of people in these areas will remain restricted, provided this is intended only for essential goods and work. There will be 41 provinces and 10 cities across the country that will be placed under the general community quarantine due to their being moderate risk for COVID-19. “We have to remind ourselves that this ECQ and GCQ won’t erase the virus. It is not the cure for the virus, but it only gives us time to prepare. It should not be only the government, but also the businesses,” she said in an interview for Manila Bulletin Lifestyle’s Youth Talk. “This should be time we remodel what we have been used to. This is the time to prepare everyone for the new normal,” Robredo noted. The vice president said Filipinos can’t just return to their old ways because the new coronavirus remains a threat to public safety even when the quarantine has ended. “Sabihin natin tomorrow GCQ na tayo. Kapag GCQ na tayo, hindi gustong sabihin na lahat tayo lalabas kasi ang ordinaryong tao takot, ‘di ba? (Let us say tomorrow we are already under GCQ. Even if were in GCQ, it doesn’t mean everyone would go out because ordinary people are afraid, right?) The fear factor will always be there,” she said. Robredo explained the policies to be crafted by the government to help the people adjust to the new normal after the lifting of the lockdown should be throughly studied. “As far as the Philippines is concerned, it needs to be very calculated, data-driven. The data should be there. The lessons from other countries must be taken into consideration,” she said. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Robredo also highlighted the importance effective communication to allay public fear, citing the case of New Zealand. “If you know the parameters of everything, if you know what government is doing, it lessens the stress. So, very good communications skills of government really translate to reducing fear as far as the constituency is concerned,” she said.
Vice-President Leni Robredo(Mark Balmores / MANILA BULLETIN) Lockdown measures will be eased in most parts of the country starting on Saturday, May 16, but a modified enhanced community quarantine is extended in Metro Manila, Laguna, and Cebu City until the end of the month. Under a modified ECQ, the movement of people in these areas will remain restricted, provided this is intended only for essential goods and work. There will be 41 provinces and 10 cities across the country that will be placed under the general community quarantine due to their being moderate risk for COVID-19. “We have to remind ourselves that this ECQ and GCQ won’t erase the virus. It is not the cure for the virus, but it only gives us time to prepare. It should not be only the government, but also the businesses,” she said in an interview for Manila Bulletin Lifestyle’s Youth Talk. “This should be time we remodel what we have been used to. This is the time to prepare everyone for the new normal,” Robredo noted. The vice president said Filipinos can’t just return to their old ways because the new coronavirus remains a threat to public safety even when the quarantine has ended. “Sabihin natin tomorrow GCQ na tayo. Kapag GCQ na tayo, hindi gustong sabihin na lahat tayo lalabas kasi ang ordinaryong tao takot, ‘di ba? (Let us say tomorrow we are already under GCQ. Even if were in GCQ, it doesn’t mean everyone would go out because ordinary people are afraid, right?) The fear factor will always be there,” she said. Robredo explained the policies to be crafted by the government to help the people adjust to the new normal after the lifting of the lockdown should be throughly studied. “As far as the Philippines is concerned, it needs to be very calculated, data-driven. The data should be there. The lessons from other countries must be taken into consideration,” she said. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Robredo also highlighted the importance effective communication to allay public fear, citing the case of New Zealand. “If you know the parameters of everything, if you know what government is doing, it lessens the stress. So, very good communications skills of government really translate to reducing fear as far as the constituency is concerned,” she said.