Fixing COVID will fix the economy: Pangilinan

THE CONTINUING rise in COVID infection will only worsen the economy, Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said Sunday, again urging government to focus on managing the pandemic with health-centered approach of mass testing, contact tracing, and treatment -- not with incoherent, unreasonable, and iron-fist policies.

"Naghihingalo ang ating ekonomiya, parang may COVID din. Ang dugo ng ating ekonomiya, ang mga manggagawa, halos 9 na milyon walang trabaho, kabilang na ang kalahating milyong OFW, 74,000 na jeepney drivers, at 11,000 na empleyado ng ABS-CBN. Ang puso ng ating ekonomiya, ang maliliit na namumuhunan, marami sa kanila ang nagsara o humina ang negosyo," he said.

(Our economy is gasping for breath, as if COVID-infected. The lifeblood of our economy, the workers, almost 9 million are unemployed, including the half a million displaced overseas Filipino workers, the 74,000 jeepney drivers, and the 11,000 ABS-CBN employees. The heart of our economy, the small entrepreneurs, many have either closed shop or their businesses in decline.)

"Apat na buwan na simula nang i-declare ang emergency situation dahil sa COVID pero di pa rin natututukan ang problema. Kulang pa rin sa mass testing, sa contact tracing, at treatment. Hindi madadaan sa lockdown lang, at lalong-lalong di madadaan sa mga joke ang pagsolusyon sa napakalaking problemang ito," he added.

(It's been four months since the declaration of emergency situation due to COVID but the problem has not been addressed. There is still lack in mass testing, contact tracing, and treatment. Lockdowns alone and certainly jokes will not solve this enormous problem.)

Pangilinan said that in the face of a pandemic, the alleged massive corruption in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), as well as in the delay in the approval of the use of the Filipino-made, world-class test kit against a twice-the-price imported ones, is totally unacceptable.

"Nakakagalit na sa panahon ng kalamida ay may nakukuha pang magsamantala. Ang kailangan natin ay magaling, mapag-aruga, at matinong doktor para maayos nating masolusyunan ang magkakambal na sakit ng COVID at corruption na kinakaharap ng bayan natin -- hindi pulis, hindi militar, hindi kamay na bakal," he said.

(It's infuriating that some people are exploiting this calamity. We need a competent, caring, and upright doctor to apply the correct treatment to the twin diseases of COVID and corruption that the country now face -- not police, not military, not force of violence.)

From January, when the first COVID patient was monitored in the country, Pangilinan has called for effective contact tracing. He had said then that doing so would stop the spread of the disease.

Unfortunately, the Philippines only recently announced its eponymous contact tracing program Chismosa (literally, rumormonger).

"Kapag naayos natin ang pagpapagamot sa kalagayan ng COVID sa ating bansa, babalik ang kumpyansa ng mga mamumuhunan na magnegosyo at magkakatrabaho ulit ang mga kababayan natin," Pangilinan said.

(If we're able to treat the COVID situation in the country, investors' confidence will return and our people will have jobs again.)