Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Monday highlighted the government’s actions regarding the consultative forum Sulong Pilipinas’ recommendations on how the country can manage and respond to the challenges brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
During the virtual “Sulong Pilipinas: pre-SONA of the Economic Development and Infrastructure Cluster” on Monday, Nograles said the government has taken into consideration the consultative forum’s recommendations to guide policy and reform moving forward, especially in the Covid-19 response and management.
“The Duterte administration acknowledges the important role that the general public and different citizen groups play in policy-making,” Nograles said.
To improve Covid-19 response and management, the recommendations are to intensify testing, ensure efficient contact tracing with digital tools, and augment healthcare capacity.
Nograles said the government’s progress in this aspect includes the following: 246 testing laboratories accredited nationwide; Stay Safe app has 15 million individual users and is being utilized by 700 local government units across the country; 234,011 contact tracers hired nationwide; and 9,766 national and local quarantine facilities established with total bed capacity of 132,777.
In terms of assistance and access to affordable or low-interest loans for businesses, Nograles said PHP2.9 billion worth of loans under the Covid-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises program were approved by the Department of Trade and Industry-Small Business Corporation; PHP14.88 billion worth of loans under the Interim Rehabilitation Support to Cushion Unfavorably Affected Enterprises by Covid-19 (I-RESCUE) Lending Program were approved by LandBank; and the PhilGuarantee guaranteed PHP952.5 million worth of loans for micro, small, and medium enterprises as of February 2021.
As for assistance to students and infrastructure for education, Nograles noted that the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Information and Communications Technology signed two agreements to establish the Public Education Network, which aims to accelerate digital connectivity of all public schools and DepEd offices nationwide.
Nograles said the DepEd will make the Virtual In-Service Training (VINSET) and DepEd Commons more accessible to teachers and learners to allow resources and learning materials to be easily shared, discovered, and reviewed online.
For the comprehensive recovery roadmap for the tourism industry, he said the Department of Tourism has embarked on a digital tourism campaign called Balikan ang Pilipinas (Return to the Philippines) to promote tourist attractions and encourage foreign visitor arrivals once Covid-related travel restrictions are lifted.
He said local tourist spots were reopened, provided that strict health and safety protocols are followed.
For the availability of public transportation, the Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and Armed Forces of the Philippines have been providing free rides to healthcare workers, with 2,568,014 total ridership nationwide as of April 21, 2021.
Meanwhile, 35,565 public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers nationwide were registered under the PUV Service Contracting Program.
Lastly, in terms of reliable and high-speed internet through investments in ICT infrastructure, Nograles said 2,220 telecommunication permits and clearances to build cell towers have been approved by LGUs.
He said the Dito Telecom debuted on March 8, 2021 in 15 selected areas in Visayas and Mindanao. As of April 16, it has expanded its services to 21 more cities. (PNA)
