Palace: No school closures

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will not follow Japan’s move to temporarily close all schools to contain the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – at least, for now.

Previous reports have said the closure of schools in Japan, which starts today and will last until the end of the school year, would affect about 13 million students. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said the first weeks of March would be an “extremely critical period” for stopping the spread of the virus.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, however, said there is no reason to close Philippine schools for now.

“It depends. If the President sees the risks and there is a recommendation from the Inter-agency (Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases), we would do that. For now, there’s none,” Panelo said in a radio interview.

The task force meets regularly and recommends actions based on the assessments of the World Health Organization, according to the Palace spokesman.

“They move based on their findings and we are ready because our protocols are well-placed,” he said.

“Even the World Health Organization has commended the Philippines, that we are containing the virus well so our countrymen have nothing to worry about,” he added.

Last month, the Philippines prohibited travel to and from China and its administrative regions Macau and Hong Kong to control the spread of the disease, which has so far infected about 80,000 people worldwide. It has also banned travelers from North Gyeongsang province in South Korea and prohibited Filipino tourists from visiting any part of the East Asian country.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) must immediately conduct a survey of sectors where jobs are being lost due to the spread of the COVID-19, Sen. Sonny Angara said yesterday.

After the announcement of Philippine Airlines (PAL) that it has laid off 300 of its personnel, Angara, who chairs the Senate finance committee, said the government cannot afford to be complacent in addressing the impact of COVID-19 on the economy.

“We have been spared from deaths caused by COVID-19, but sadly, the pandemic has taken away the jobs of 300 hardworking men and women of our country’s flag carrier,” Angara said.

“There is no end in sight yet and more countries are implementing drastic measures to keep their citizens safe, including our own. Our authorities should prepare for the worst and insulate, not only our people from the virus, but also our industries from being downed by the COVID-19,” he added.

As a first step, Angara said the DOLE should already be conducting a survey of all companies that are laying off workers due to a slowdown of economic activity, be it COVID-19-related or other factors.

“Not all companies are the size of PAL, which could afford to provide separation packages to its affected employees. There are smaller players, particularly those in the tourism sector, such as the tour guides, bed-and-breakfast operators and vehicle rentals that need the foreign visitors to put food on their tables,” he said.

Those laid off may avail themselves of various government financial programs to help them tide over while looking for other jobs, according to the senator.

Under the 2020 General Appropriations Act, DOLE has P112.62 million for its Adjustment Measures Program and P6.8 billion for its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers or TUPAD.

“Now, more than ever, our entire government should work together in making our domestic industries stronger, more competitive, productive and resilient. This way, they will be less prone to external shocks and continue to provide jobs to our people, uplift their communities and bring the Philippines closer to being an industrialized nation,” Angara said.