The Effects

of
Covid-19 in the Philippines
Healthcare
HEALTHCARE?
● The healthcare sector is at the epicenter of this unprecedented global pandemic
challenge, and the private sector has risen to the occasion, by offering to the
government all the support it needs, be it testing support, preparing isolation beds for
the treatment of Covid-19 positive patients or deploying equipment and staff in
identified nodal hospitals.
A “not weak” healthcare system?

● Looking at available health facilities, data from

the DOH shows that there are 1,236 hospitals in
the country as of 2017. There is also a significant
shortage of health personnel in the country.
Philippine Overseas Employment Administration
(POEA) data show that despite the scarcity of
government health workers, the country has been
exporting nurses for decades, which is worsening
the brain drain of the health sector. These
shortages in medical facilities and personnel are
due to government’s low prioritization of the
health sector as seen in the national budget.
Bursting at the seams
● As the number of COVID-19 cases quickly increased, the lack of and strain on
health resources and personnel has revealed how weak the country’s healthcare
system really is.
Private hospitals stated that they are
“lacking in manpower” since an
“alarming number” of employees
have been put on a 14-day
quarantine. This left remaining
hospital staff to tend to persons
under investigation (PUIs).
Moreover, personal protective
equipment (PPEs) are running short
while COVID-19 isolation areas are
becoming scarce.
THE KIT

● The lack of access to test kits may have likely contributed to the
sudden surge in COVID-19 cases. The Philippines was reported to
have only 2,000 kits.  To date, only 1,172 tests have been
conducted. Sec. Duque has said that there are only about 200 to
250 people tested a day at the RITM for the disease. Only patients
with a travel history to countries with confirmed cases of COVID-19
or have had close contact with confirmed cases are prioritized.
Those that show symptoms but do not have a travel history nor
had close contact are advised to self-quarantine due to the limited
 Lack of medical supply

● Frontline health care workers in 

the Philippines are growing
increasingly concerned about a
lack of personal protective
equipment that they fear will
expose them to the Covid-19
coronavirus.
Health Service for All
● COVID-19 reveals how the Philippine health care system is vulnerable. Health
workers are stretched with citizens having to donate PPEs to them. Additionally,
testing for COVID-19 is only administered to patients who have met the narrow
criteria or are relatives of government officials. While the PhilHealth insurance
packages for COVID-19 are welcome, these public funds will mostly be used to pay
for the claims of private hospitals.
● In the long-term, our healthcare system should have a socially just alternative to
PhilHealth as a healthcare funding, policy-shaping and regulatory system. It should
have comprehensive and universal direct public funding and coverage of
healthcare costs that is fully free healthcare for all. Aside from this, a public-led
health system should also be equitably staffed, equipped and funded through a
truly progressive tax system.
Economic
STATE OF CALAMITY
The Philippines government
announced the entire country will be
placed under a state of calamity for a
period of six months. The declaration
will enable national and local
governments to quickly access relief
funds to control the spread of the
disease.
DISPLACEMENT OF WORKERS
More than 400 economic zones under lock-
down, approximately 700 factories have
been shut down displacing hundreds of
workers. The Philippines government is a
stimulus package of approximately 200
billion pesos to protect the citizens and
businesses from the impact of the
coronavirus outbreak. The funds are
expected to drawn from non-budgetary
TOTAL LOCKDOWN
During the lock-down, Supermarkets
were packed with shoppers buying
items from toilet paper after the
president gave a speech meant to
reassure residents. Panic buying has
broken out among wealthy and
middle-income residents in Metro
Manila, some of whom have fled for
the countryside.
REFORMS OPPORTUNITY
Let’s not forget the adage that economic
crisis often makes difficult reforms. This
takes wise, insightful and persuasive
leadership. Hopefully the crisis makes
possible the overcoming of obstacles
that prevent good reforms from taking
place.
 Philippines In Covid-19 Lockdown:
Impact On Consumer Sector

Philippines’ consumer and retail sector is expected to be one the

sectors hardest hit by the month-long lockdown of Luzon island,
where 50% of its population resides and which accounts for 73%
of the country’s GDP.

Like many countries under lockdown, food and drinks, as well as

health spending is expected to increase, while all other consumer
spending categories are expected to decrease, as Filipino
consumers prioritize priority purchases.
Real GDP growth in the Philippines is set to rebound more
modestly in 2020 than we had initially anticipated, owing to the
impact of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The exports sector, specifically tourism, is likely to see intense

headwinds from the outbreak, while infrastructure projects could
face delays, and households receive weaker remittance inflows.
Livelihood
On March 12, 2020, PRRD declared Code Red
Sub-Level 2. He had imposed partial lock down in
Metro Manila and suspended all classes in the
metropolis until April 12, 2020. PRRD did not
directly call it lock down, he used the term
“Community Quarantine” from March 15-April 14.
➔ Minimum health standards like the
wearing of masks, taking of body
temperatures, and handwashing
protocols will also continue to be
enforced.
➔ Going outside is strictly prohibited.
Every households will be given a
quarantine pass in order for them to be
valid outside. Market hours are very
limited so that people can by their food
on their respective schedules.
➔ Malls should limit entry of shoppers
and implement mandatory temperature
check and mandatory use of masks and
alcohol. They were also told to turn up
the airconditioning temperature and
stop offering free WiFi to discourage
people to "linger" inside the malls
➔ Social distancing was strictly imposed.
Communities are in a lockdown
situation wherein people must stay
inside their homes to limit the
infectivity of the virus.
➔ The Government imposed rules to be
followed by the citizens in order to
maintain the peace and order during
the enhanced community quarantine.
➔ Children (0 to 20 years old), elderly (60
years old and above), and people with
high-risk health issues are not allowed
to go out of their homes
• With the Luzon-wide enhanced community
quarantine (ECQ) extended until April 30
and with no definite end in sight yet for the
COVID-19 global pandemic, many Filipinos
are counting on the government for financial
• help.
The government knew this was coming. So
they imposed a Social Amelioration Program
to support the Filipinos affected by the
pandemic
SAP is a cash emergency subsidy program for 18
million Filipino families whose lives are greatly
affected by the ECQ. It states that each qualified
family can receive at least Php5,000 up to
Php8,000 per month for two months for basic
food, medicine, and toiletries.
Transportati
on
Before the COVID-19 pandemic hits the Philippines Filipinos are doing
their usual thing going to work, going to Schools attending mass
gatherings visiting malls and always going to places with many people
we cant help it because people are so called “social-animal”. Rush
hour for commuters is also regular in the Philippines
Checkpoints
During the ECQ and lockdown of Luzon public transportation has
been restricted by the government to help contain the spread of
the virus. Private “Essential” vehicles were the only ones allowed
to the streets and there are check points in-place to check if the
driver of the private vehicle is an essential worker or not. Food
deliveries and supply of essentials were prioritized and not
delayed
The Philippine government said that food supplies are
enough but are not moving on their destinations so the
government prioritized this kind of transportation and
they even used the military to help in distributing and
delivering goods for the people who are being
Agriculture
 Due to the COVID 19, Agricultural sector in the region will also be affected because
they export their agricultural products like tropical fruits and other products to China’s
market. With this pandemic, there is tightening of global food supply and we know that
when there is not enough food, disorder is probable. While improving our food adequacy
level, we should aim for food security. If no action is done, the threat of hunger is as real as
the threat of the virus.
According to the Secretary, food production areas must be expanded to increase level
of productivity. We need to improve efficiencies in production and enhance projects and
activities to ensure affordability and availability of food supply. The secretary added that the
agency was working hard to sustain food security under the “new normal” in agriculture,
wherein demand has been slowed down by the temporary closures and limited operations
of industries that offer a ready market to local farmers and fishermen. To address the glut in
poultry, DAR said they have given grants to cooperatives that would like to engage in
agribusiness so that they may directly sell their produce to consumers. The government
should prepare for the worst.
There must be a comprehensive plan from the government for sustaining the food
supply in the country. We need to have a planned agri-fishery production system as soon as
possible to avoid food shortage amid the lockdown. Remember, there is no magic in food
production. In this time of crisis, the government should mobilize not only the health care
frontliners who fight the virus, but also the frontline workers in the agricultural and fishery
sector who can fight hunger in the long run. This crisis is projected to last for not only a
month, but 3 or more months. If the situation gets worse, the country's food security is at
risk.
Photos of our agriculture due to Covid-19
Education
Another thing that was affected by the
COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is the
educational system. Many countries have
closed their schools, colleges and
universities, and the Philippines is one of
them. This is to allow more reduced contact
among the students and protect their
families.
THIS DISRUPTION IS FELT BY MANY
FAMILIES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE
CHILDREN’S SOCIAL LIFE AND LEARNING.
EDUCATION IS MOVING ONLINE IN AN
UNTESTED AND UNPRECEDENTED SCALE
AND MOST OF THE STUDENTS WERE
UNPREPARED FOR IT.
But not every student has access or a stable access to the
internet, making them lose track of what activities are happening
online.

The academic agenda is also severely disrupted, and with what

stated above, this further complicates the online education
system since not everyone can access the internet.

SCHOOLS ARE BEING ASK TO CONSIDER

MOVING BACK THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR AS
FAR BACK AS LATE SEPTEMBER. AND DEPED
IS CONSIDERING AN “E-GRADUATION” TO
THE GRADUATING STUDENTS DUE TO THE
ONGOING LOCKDOWN.
● In this interview, Under Secretary Nepomuceno Malaluan stated
that since mass gatherings are prohibited, graduations in the
academic year 2019-2020 will be cancelled due to the pandemic.
But he also said that some universities are suggesting an e-
graduation for the students to experience. He stated the if the “e-
graduation” will not oppose the law of social distancing, maybe
online graduation will be accepted by the Department of
Education.
Internet
● Ever since the start of the pandemic, one
of the sources of information about what is
happening around our country is through
online news, television broadcasts, etc...
We can also find information about COVID
19 through different social media outlets.
● The effect of COVID 19 on the internet can
be seen as there are a lot of articles, social
media posts, websites that are updating
us about the status of our country.
● Through the internet, information
travels faster than the typical media
and we can access this information
for free. From this, we can find
information that may help us in this
pandemic.
● We can also help by sharing
information about this pandemic, but
there is also a disadvantage if the
information we got is not real or the
information that we are sharing are
not real and may cause
misunderstanding.
● Today’s rapid proliferation of mobile data traffic as well as the
high increase in user service requests stress conventional
cellular wireless technology. According to the Philippine
telecommunications companies, they reported an increase in
demand for mobile data/internet amid the enhanced community
quarantine over the entire Luzon.

● In separate statements, incumbent players Smart

Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. said they are now
taking steps to ensure that the high demand for mobile data is
met.
Religion
● The 2019–2020 coronavirus pandemic has
impacted religion in various ways, including
the cancellation of the worship services of
various faiths, the closure of Sunday
Schools, as well as the cancellation of
pilgrimages surrounding observances and
festivals. Many churches, synagogues,
mosques, and temples have offered worship
through livestream amidst the pandemic.
 Filipino Catholics are finding ways to attend Mass even
without being physically present at the sanctuary in a bid
to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

 Father Douglas Badong, parochial vicar of the Minor

Basilica of the Black Nazarene, said viewership of the
Quiapo Church Mass Facebook Live "tripled" on Friday
morning while fewer Catholics showed up for the actual
Mass, traditionally the day when there is huge attendance.
● A Catholic diocese in Metro Manila has
offered its churches and schools as
temporary ‘field of hospitals’ for coronavirus
patients if the need arises, according to
CBCP News.
● They said that If they need to open their
Churches, chapels, and schools and turn
them into temporary field hospitals for the
sick, we will do so.
● PHL gov’t thanks Iglesia Ni Cristo for allowing use of PHL
Arena, Ciudad de Victoria for COVID-19 patients,
frontliners.
● The Philippine government on Saturday, April 4, thanked the
Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) Executive Minister for
allowing the use of the whole Ciudad de Victoria complex in
Bulacan to house coronavirus patients as well as the
frontliners, including the healthcare workers who will be
treating them.
● In a virtual presser, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles
thanked INC Executive Minister Brother Eduardo Manalo
after the Church Of Christ allowed not just the use of the
55,000-seater Philippine Arena which is known as the
largest mixed-use indoor theater in the world, but also the
facilities and grounds of the entire Ciudad de Victoria estate.
 The Iglesia Ni Cristo also donated 13
million pesos worth of PPEs to public
hospitals in Quezon City. Personal
Protective Equipment are essential to
medical frontliners to prevent them
from getting infected so they can
continue treating those who are sick.
According to QC Mayor, Joy Belmonte,
this donation is a great help to the city
in fighting COVID-19.
Environmen
t
 Manila’s air pollution has been linked to
between 11,000 and 27,000 deaths in 2018 alone,
according to a recent Greenpeace study, and affects
98% of the capital region’s 12.8 million people. The
government show an even more drastic drop in air
pollution levels following the imposition of the
“enhanced community quarantine,” effectively the
lockdown of the capital, to contain the spread of
COVID-19 infections. 
● The COVID-19 pandemic is also likely
to have a significant impact on other
environmental factors, including the
emission of greenhouse gases as the
global economy heads into recession,
according to Kevin Rose, Assistant
Professor of Biological Sciences and
Kolleck Career Development Chair in
Freshwater Ecology at Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute
● A month-long lockdown to
combat the spread of the
coronavirus that causes Covid-19
has emptied the normally
bustling streets of Metro Manila.
The Philippine capital and
surrounding areas have been
sealed off since March 15, 2020,
after authorities suspended all
domestic land, sea and air traffic.