HOW DOES IT AFFECT

US?
Background in PH Context
 Tally of COVID-19 cases in PH
As of September 25, 2021

2, 470, 175 Region III: Central Luzon

(total cases) 247, 747
National Capital Region
Active Cases Region IV-A:
788, 119
CALABARZON
450,008
165, 092 (6.7%)
Region VI: Western
Recovery Cases Visayas
Region130,708
VII: Central
2,267,678 (91.8%) Visayas
140,372
Death Cases

37, 405 (1.51%)

Department of Health (2021a)

Economic Gross Domestic Product from Q1 2018-2019 to Q2 2020-2021
Sector

In Q2 2019-2020, there is critical

decrease of GDP at -17% But a
promising increase of GDP from -
11.6% to 11.8% in Q3 2019-2020 to
Q2 2020-2021, respectively.
Philippine Statistics Authority
 Labor Force of the Philippines as from Apr 2020- Jul 2021
100

Employment rate is 90
90 91.3
82.4 91.3 92.3 93.1

constantly
80

70

increasing 60 55.7
61.9
60.5 63.2 65
50 59.8

40
Unemployment rate
35 38.2 39.3
30 38 39 41.8

boomed in April 2020 20 17.6

(17.6%) but there is 10 10

8.7
8.7
0
observable decrease in April 2020*
July 2020*
7.7
6.9
January 2020**
July 2021 (6.9%). * Final estimates
** Preliminary estimates
April 2021**
June 2021**
July 2021**

Labor Force (Participation Rate (%) Employment Rate (%)

Unemployment Rate (%) Average Weekly Hours Worked
Philippine Statistics Authority (2021b)
 Philippines Government Spending from Jul 2018- Jul 2021 quarterly

PH government Spending is increased from PHP 650,335.79

million in Q1 2021 to PHP 807,843.81 million in Q2 in the same
year. Trading Economics (2021)
 Economic costs of F2F closure SY 2020-2021 Educational Sector
• Based on the figure, a sum of PHP 225 billion
will loss for one year of F2F closure*
• A loss of PHP 16 billion is expected if 50% of
more than 400,000 private professionals and non
professional figures are not employed.
• Factors like “the need to share smartphones, cost
of phone load, and awareness of educational TV
programs” shaped the capability of Filipino to
utilize devices for education (p. 30).
• There is stagnancy on further acquisition of
knowledge, wherein an academic period with no
education is akin to lose of 2 academic years in
comparison to F2F classes.
• A net loss of PHP 1.63 trillion among K-12
students for a year in productivity and majority
of loss is among students <15 yrs. old with PHP
1.15 trillion
*Assumed in households with one parent not working and needs to stay at home, ADB Briefs no. 162 (2020) & Economic
and/or households with children <12 yrs. with both parents working Policy Research Institute (2020)
 Health Sector
Trend on number of
calls among crisis UP study (2020):
PH have lowest
suicidal cases hotlines last 2020 1,879 participants
per 100, 000 verbalized
people in Asia “moderate to
severe” anxiety
problems due to
Aug 2020: 53 pandemic
Jun 2020: suicide-linked
1,115 callscalls
Apr 2020:
However, 1,014 calls
there is Increased fourfold
Jan- Mar
increased of 2020: 400
in crisis hotlines
15% in the with most
calls
adolescents
past 2 seeking help
decades
Cayabyab 2019 & Chiu (2021)
 There is markedly drop in the
number of pregnant women
going to antenatal care check-
ups*.

Iron and folic acid tablets may be

less probably taken by the
pregnant women.

Pregnant women may less likely

to opt in giving birth at hospitals
but may more possibly to choose
another health facility.

Fear to be rejected by the hospital

and fear to contract COVID-19 are
the major factor of not visiting
hospital among pregnant women.
*vs. DOH guidelines of 4 antenatal care check-ups
There is fairly small trend of
< 5 yrs. old children who opt not to
visit a healthy facility since the
start of pandemic**.
and WHO guidelines of 8 antenatal care check-
** Children who are under 5 yrs. old ups
and
beneficiaries of 4PS are required to visit a health
facility once every 2 months.
Economic Policy Research Institute (2020)
HOW DO WE RESPOND?
International and Local Responses vs. COVID crisis
 Government Response
Minimum public health Lockdown
standards Community quarantine is now
Face shields*, social distancing categorized either ECQ or GCQ with
(1 meter), and face mask AT ALL alert level 1, 2, 3, & 4. Local
TIMES across ALL government may institute granular
SITUATIONS lockdowns in either barangay or
01 02 municipal level.
Rollout of vaccines Contact Tracing
• Pfizer/BioNtech Comirnaty 03 04 • Commenced after active and thorough
• SII/Covishield and investigation of suspected or probable
AstraZeneca/AZD1222 case-related to COVID-19
• Janssen/Ad26.COV 2.S • Close contact shall remain in
• Moderna COVID-19 (mRNA 1273) quarantine for 14 days.
• Sinopharm COVID-19 • COVID-19 patient classification
• Sinovac-CoronaVac system (Close Contact, Probable,
• Sputnik V* Suspect).
• RT-PCR test is the best standard to
detect COVID-19

*Currently unregistered and needs approval by Department Circular No. 2021-0122 (2021) Inter-Agency Task
WHO Force (2021), Reuters (2021), & World Health Organization (2020)
 PH COVID-19 Emergency
Response Project (PCERP)
For early prevention, wide-scale detection, and prompt response by
coronavirus disease.

Execution of projects in
Solidifying of health care response
management, monitoring and
amidst pandemic
evaluation

1 3

2 4
Reinforcing lab capacity both Contingency Response Component
nationwide and municipalities to (CERC) for speedy response in
elevate the prevention, emergencies and health crises.
preparedness and response level
Department of Health (2020)
on EIDs.
 280
Licensed COVID-19
Testing in the PH

116
Licensed COVID-19 Testing in
NCR

Department of Health (2021b)

 Social
Under the Republic Act (RA) 11469,
otherwise known as “Bayanihan to
Amelioration
Heal as one Act of 2020,” the PH Program
government shall provide
emergency aid of PHP 5,000- 8, 000
pesos per household.

Leading branch: DWSD

Authorized recipients:
• 4Ps beneficiaries
• Workers in informal sector of
economy
• Senior Citizens
• PWDs
• Pregnant Women
• Solo Parents

Memorandum Circular No. 04 (2020).

 Hazard
Pay

PHP
Not exceeding Administrative Order
no. 43

500*
PER DAY PER PERSON
for ALL personnel who are
required to physically
report under GCQ and
MECQ

*Lower rate from PHP 500 may be given if there is

Administrative Order no. 43 (2021)
lack of funds.
 Circular No. 2021-0008
COVID-19 Package for Inpatient

Circular No. 2021-0007

COVID-19 Coverage on vaccine-related injury

Circular No. 2021-0018

COVID-19 Benefits on Community Isolation

Circular No. 2021-0017

Package for utilization RT-PCR testing

Circular No. 2021-0011

Financial Package for HCWs and patients at
risk for COVID-19

Circular No. 2021-0009

Financial Package for patients with probable
and developing COVID-19 related illness

PhilHealth (2021)
HOW FAR WE HAVE COME?
HOW FAR WE HAVE TO
REACH IT?
Cleaving gaps and widening disparities
There is increased of 23.3% from June 2020,
which accounts to 11.166 trillion

Bureau of Treasury (2021) and Rivas (2021)

Millions of Filipinos are still
unemployed despite the distribution
of ayudas.
4.1 M are still unemployed as of
April 2021.

While cash-basis help is

continuously disbursed, there is
dwindling in numbers.

Unemployed Filipinos are still high

while there is decline on ayuda
distribution, indicating inverse
relationship.

IBON Foundation (2021)

 Among SEA
countries,
Philippines have
the highest
decrease in the
employment rate.

IBON Foundation (2021)

 Results
Non-4Ps households
without registered
names in the list did
not received cash
relief.
SMEs assistance was
not provided,
hampering the small
business industry.
Financial and food
insecruity remained
rampant especially
households with
children < 2 yrs. old
Families struggled to
provide conducive
online learning due to
*Delivery of SAP covered wide scope of PH
lack resources.
population, but not all Filipinos did not receive it
and provided only with temporary relief. Abad (2021) & Economic Policy Research Institute and UNICEF (2021)
Gaps
Unclear no. of 18
M Filipino
recipients with no
updated database
Although SAP
delivered help to
majority of Filipinos,
the pandemic lasted
for more than 2
months.
Funds were still
insufficient amidst
rising of prices,
expenses in education,
health, food and other
basic needs.
FOR GLECEL

Philhealth Contreversy
Vaccine Hesitancy

Hazard Pay issues

Weak preventive
measures in Lockdown
 R
The PH provided swift Insufficient funds, mismanagement, E
The COVID-19 crisis ushered
response to curb the virus and and premature strategies challenged F
grave impacts globally.
delivered initiatives to help the quality of health initiatives. L
every Filipino. E
C
T
I
O
N
2 4 6 S
1 3 5

Prompt response and immediate

The pandemic crippled the
economic, health, social and
food sector in the Philippines.
expansion of the coverage in health
reliefs, continuous leverage of
existing programs, increasing capacity
There is extensive and manpower of agencies and
repercussions on the poor updating vulnerability registrations
performance of PH are vital to survive in this pandemic.
government.
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