NEDA says stricter quarantine to worsen hunger and unemployment

A return to a stricter quarantine will raise hunger and unemployment figures in Metro Manila, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said on Tuesday, as it sought to justify current protocols to curb the rise in COVID-19 cases.

Metro Manila and 4 surrounding provinces are under general community quarantine, the second weakest of 4 levels of lockdown, as of April 4, with additional restrictions.

If Metro Manila returns to the Modified Enhanced Community Community (MECQ), the second strictest tier, about 266,000 COVID-19 cases and 4,000 deaths will be prevented, said Acting NEDA Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua.

However, some 58,000 people will add to the current 3.2 million who suffer from hunger, while 128,000 will lose their jobs. Metro Manila and adjacent areas will see a revenue loss of P2.1 billion, and 78,000 people would die from causes unrelated to COVID, it said.

Chua said this was the reason his agency recommended that Metro Manila, which accounts for about a third of gross domestic product, remain under GCQ.

Only essential travel to and from Metro Manila and the nearby provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal is allowed until April 4.

Restrictions in these areas, which the government collectively calls the “NCR Plus” bubble, include curfews and a ban on mass gatherings.

The government also drastically reduced the operating capacity of some companies in this bubble.