Extended quarantine may lead to hunger, criminality
April 27, 2020
Workers in the agriculture, manufacturing and construction sectors should be allowed to return to work in order to stave off hunger, social unrest and criminality, Sen. Cynthia Villar said on Sunday.
Villar, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, said a more realistic and sustainable measure against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic should be put in place instead of the lockdown.
She added that the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) imposed in Metro Manila and other parts of the country, where the number of Covid-19 cases remain high was “already taking its toll on the employment situation of the poor in the country.” The enhanced quarantine was supposed to end on April 30 but was extended again; this time up to May 15, 2020.
The lockdown was relaxed in areas that reported a decline in cases. They were placed under a GCQ (general community quarantine) effective after the end of the month.
The senator pointed out that the agriculture sector employs 22 percent of workers in the country and manufacturing and construction employ 10 percent each. Construction workers number 3.9 million in 2018, almost the same number in manufacturing.
“Agricultural and construction workers work outdoors in open spaces and are exposed to sunlight, so the risks of them getting infected are much lower as long as the people practice personal protection measures,” Villar said, even though health experts around the world were divided on that issue.
The senator also said the decision to impose an ECQ should not only depend on areas but also on industry types or sectors.
“We should remember that 70 of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Philippines is in NCR, Calabarzon and Central Luzon,” she explained. NCR is the National Capital Region or Metro Manila, while Calabarzon refers to the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.
“And if we do not practice partial lockdown in these areas, we lose 70 percent of our gross domestic product,“ she said. GDP, a key economic indicator, is the final cost of all goods and services produced in a period, normally a year.
She pointed out that the agriculture sector was in full swing, but some downstream industries have limited operations or have ceased operations already because of stringent quarantine.
As a result, workers in food manufacturing have been displaced and supply chains to markets have been disrupted, Villar added.
“With the extension of the ECQ for another half a month, we need to intensify food production as well as ensure the unimpeded flow of fresh produce and food products all over the country,” she said.
Daily wage earners
In construction and manufacturing, work stoppage resulting from the lockdown not only stranded workers at their workplaces but also left them without income.
“As we all know, workers in construction and manufacturing are daily wage earners who are compensated on a ‘No work, no pay’ basis. They have no source of income while on ECQ,” Villar said.
“While the government and companies may have extended financial assistance and relief goods, those will not be enough,” she added.
She cited that people were going hungry already, and if that was not addressed soon, people might be tempted to commit crimes just to secure money to buy food.
“Many are willing to risk their lives and get infected with coronavirus, just to provide food for their family. They can be heard saying that on TV and in social media,” she said.
While there may be health risks, she suggested that workers who will be allowed to work could still follow safety protocols, such as physical distancing and wearing face masks.
Employers can also ensure that their workers comply with those precautions, she added. “They can even provide shuttle services to their employees.”
