March 31, 2020

Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia

Chairman
Technical Working Group on Anticipatory and Forward Planning
Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-
EID)

Honorable Secretary:

We thank the government for its quick response to protect the country from the ravages
of this global COVID-19 pandemic and reaffirm our support to partner with you at every
step.

In line with this, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Entrepreneurship convened a
video call on March 29, 2020 with over 60 business leaders and association heads and
the gracious participation of six government officials, namely: Cabinet Secretary Karlo
Nograles, Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez,
Agriculture Secretary William Dar, Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la
Peña, and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.

The meeting objectives were, on one hand to be briefed by the Secretaries on latest
developments and identify conditions that will trigger a post-ECQ scenario; and on the
other hand, make suggestions on how the private sector can pull its weight to help the
country and discuss possible initiatives to transition out of the enhanced community
quarantine.

Based on the exchange, we propose four key recommendations that we hope will aid in
easing into a “new normal” while preserving the gains from the government’s early
response to safeguard the country’s public health. These are:

1. Shift Implementation from Luzon-wide lockdown to selective quarantine at

the barangay level
• Empower LGUs by putting this under their respective Mayor’s oversight
while following set guidelines from the IATF
• Removal of checkpoints with the barangay-level selective quarantine
implementation
2. Allow all manufacturing, construction and agriculture to operate based on
demand
• All cargo types to move freely without passes
• Selected sectors will continue to operate with skeletal work force and/ or
work from home setup
 3. Keep all forms of mass gatherings closed
• This includes malls, schools, entertainment and places of mass gathering
4. Allow reduced public transportation
• Allow reduced opening of public transportation or open only contained
services in business areas where employers can transport workers safely
with strict guidance on social distancing, wearing of masks, and other
public health measures

We also attach more specific inputs from business as discussed during the call.

For the government’s immediate attention.

Sincerely,

JOSE MA. A. CONCEPCION III

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship

Copy furnished:
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Office of the President
Sec. Karlo Alexei Nograles, Cabinet Secretary and IATF Spokesperson
Sec. Carlos Dominguez III, Department of Finance
Sec. Delfin Lorenzana, Department of National Defense and Chair of National Task
Force (NTF)
Sec. Eduardo Año, Department of Interior and Local Government and Vice Chair of
National Task Force (NTF)
Sec. William Dar, Department of Agriculture
Sec. Ramon Lopez, Department of Trade and Industry
Sec. Fortunato de la Peña, Department of Science and Technology
Sec. Martin Andanar, Presidential Communications Operations Office
Sec. Carlito Galvez, Jr., Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process and Chief
Implementer of National Task Force (NTF)
 Recommendations
• Shift Implementation of
provincial and Luzon-wide
lockdown to selective
quarantine at the barangay
level under their respective
Mayor’s oversight
while following set guidelines
from the IATF
• Allow all manufacturing,
construction and agriculture to
operate based on demand
• Keep all forms of mass
gatherings closed
• Reduced public transportation
Specific Inputs from Business1
• Simplify selective quarantine rules that the barangays
with COVID cases can uniformly implement so as to
avoid confusion and make it easy for everyone to follow.
• Replace checkpoint system with barangay-level
implementation of selective quarantine with confirmed
cases, strict social distancing and sanitation guidelines
that are consistent with national guidelines and with
Mayor’s oversight
• Ensure the flow of agricultural inputs and outputs
through inter-barangay coordination so sufficient volume
of goods will reach urban centers and quarantined
zones for timely distribution
• Allow all manufacturing, construction and agriculture to
operate based on demand
• All sectors still to be encouraged to work from home but
permit physical work in the largest employment groups
such as construction, non-food manufacturing, energy
infrastructure, and government.
• Ensure the flow of all cargo from “essential
manufacturing” and “essential infrastructure” activities
such as semiconductor facilities and BPO services, as
well as agricultural activities (including raw material
inputs, storage, distribution, etc.) with critical inputs to
food sustainability and the global supply chain, including
that of solving the COVID-19 crisis.
• Move cash payments to digital options to minimize
handling of physical money that may transmit the virus.
• Continue to disallow large gatherings (masses, events,
meetings), schools, malls and other areas where people
can congregate to prevent possible local transfer of the
virus
• Continue to keep the vulnerable (e.g., sick, pregnant) and
non-earners (e.g., students) off the streets
• Allow reduced public transportation or open contained
services in business areas to facilitate the movement of
workers who need to be physically present in their
respective workplaces
• Allow private vehicles, bicycle programs and certain
types of vehicles consistent with social distancing
• Continue restrictions of flights in and out of NCR to limit
the critical area within Luzon.