Philippine government response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Both the national government and local governments have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines with various declarations of emergency, closure of schools and public meeting places, lockdowns, and other restrictions intended to slow the progression of the virus.
National responses and regulations
Measures
Following the confirmation of the first localized transmission on March 7, the DOH raised its alert to Code Red Sub-Level 1. President Rodrigo Duterte later issued Proclamation No. 922 on March 9, formally declaring a public health emergency, authorizing local government units to employ their local disaster risk reduction management funds.The Department of Trade and Industry on March 9 issued a directive ordering retailers should only allow the sale of two bottles of each type of disinfectant per person as a measure against hoarding. In line with the public health emergency declaration, the department imposed a 60-day price freeze on basic commodities.
On March 16, the president signed Proclamation No. 929 declaring a state of calamity throughout the country for six months, bringing into effect the following:
- price control of basic needs and commodities,
- granting interest-free loans,
- distribution of calamity funds,
- authorization of importation and receipt of donations, and
- hazard allowance for public health workers and government personnel in the fields of science and technology.
The Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Social Welfare and Development has started their own emergency cash subsidy programs.
Bayanihan to Heal as One Act
Following the sharp increase of confirmed cases, President Duterte called on Congress to hold special sessions on March 23 to enact the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act upon his request, which would "authorize the President to exercise powers necessary to carry out urgent measures to meet the current national emergency related to COVID-19 only for three months unless extended by Congress." The act would allow President Duterte to "reallocate, realign, and reprogram" a budget of almost from the estimated national budget approved for 2020, in response to the pandemic; enable him to "temporarily take over or direct the operations" of public utilities and privately owned health facilities and other necessary facilities "when the public interest so requires" for quarantine, the accommodation of health professionals, and the distribution and storage of medical relief; and "facilitate and streamline" the accreditation of testing kits.In the House of Representatives of the Philippines, the bill was introduced as House Bill No. 6616 with House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano of Pateros–Taguig as its principal sponsor and was defended on the floor by Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte of Camarines Sur's 2nd district. Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea addressed the session, stressing that the president needed "standby powers" to address the emergency. Some representatives questioned the nature, usage, and necessity of the "standby powers", claiming its susceptibility to abuse and corruption.
In the Senate of the Philippines, the bill was introduced as Senate Bill No. 1418 with Senate President Tito Sotto and Senator Pia Cayetano as its principal sponsors. Under the bill, Senator Cayetano said that over 18 million Filipino households living below the poverty line would also receive financial incentives of around –8,000 per month for two months. Senators amended their version of the bill to include financial compensation of around to be given by PhilHealth to health professionals who contracted the virus, as well as the provision of around -worth of financial aid to their families.
Both versions of the bill reportedly removed the usage of the term "emergency powers", replacing it with "authority". It also removed the term "take over of public utilities and private businesses", limiting President Duterte's abilities at most to "direct the operations" of such enterprises. The House version of the bill passed the House of Representatives in a 284–9 vote without abstentions, while its Senate version unanimously passed the Senate. President Duterte signed the bill into law the following day.
Lockdowns
On March 12, President Duterte announced a partial lockdown covering Metro Manila, that began on March 15. The lockdown was later expanded on March 16, when President Duterte imposed an enhanced community quarantine covering the entire Luzon, including outlying islands. The enhanced community quarantine restricted travel and transportation within the island, imposed strict home quarantine among all households, and the closure of all non-essential private establishments.On April 7, President Duterte extended the duration of the enhanced community quarantine on Luzon until April 30, following a recommendation from the IATF-EID.
On April 24, Duterte extended the enhanced community quarantine until May 15, but only for Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon as well as other areas in Luzon that are considered a high-risk for COVID-19.
Local governments units both within and outside Luzon has also imposed their own quarantine measures.
Cash aid
Social amelioration program
The Department of Social Welfare and Development is the agency responsible for the implementation of the national government's social amelioration program, an emergency cash subsidy meant for indigent families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and relevant quarantine measures. As of April 14, around has been deployed by the social welfare department to the country's 103 local government units. The agency targets to make 18 million low-income households as beneficiaries of the program. Households with a family income of less than monthly income was given priority. The DSWD has devolved the distribution of the cash subsidy to the LGUS though the agency continues to provide support to the LGUs' efforts including "on-the-spot" validation of beneficiaries.By May 17, the DSWD already reach 95 percent of its target, providing aid to 17.1 million beneficiary households with worth of cash subsidy distributed.
The DSWD has also advised multiple times against the proliferation of unsanctioned Facebook Pages about its Social Amelioration Program.
For the second tranche of the SAP, the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte changed the responsibility of distributing cash aid from the local government units to the military and police amidst complains of slow delivery and misuse of funds meant for certain areas.
Universal healthcare
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation announced that it would provide worth of advance payment to its accredited health facilities for health care providers to obtain the liquid capital required to efficiently respond to the crisis. PhilHealth also subsided some of its policies on its members; it waived the 45-day coverage and single period of confinement policies while extending payment deadlines until the end of April and the failing period of claims from 60 days to at least 120 days. Also, PhilHealth announced that PUIs quarantined in its accredited facilities are entitled to a health package, while those who tested positive for COVID-19 are entitled to a beneficiary package.Frontline workers compensation
On March 23, President Duterte signed Administrative Order No. 26, granting that front line government officials and employees receive a daily hazard pay of . On April 6, President Duterte signed Administrative Order No. 28, granting the payment of a special risk allowance to public health workers in addition to their hazard pay. According to the order, public health workers attending to COVID-19 patients, PUMs, and PUIs will receive at most a quarter of their basic pay.Other measures
The Presidential Security Group have implemented a "no-touch" policy during meetings by President Duterte with politicians, reporters, and visitors.Several government officials announced that they would donate portions of their salaries to help fund government initiatives responding to the pandemic. President Duterte said that he would donate a month of his salary, which amounts to, to the Office of Civil Defense. Some senators and around 200 members of the House of Representatives would also donate their salaries for May, while most Cabinet members would donate at most 75 percent of their salaries.
The Department of Labor and Employment announced it would initiate a cash assistance program worth for workers in both the formal and informal sectors across the country affected by government-imposed quarantines. As of March 31, the department reported that at least 25,428 formal sectors and 5,220 informal sector workers were given cash assistance of each.
Medical supply
The office of Vice President Leni Robredo raised about to purchase 64,367 sets of PPE and donate it to front line health professionals across the country. The first batch consisted of 7,350 PPEs that were donated to 490 professionals in eight hospitals in Manila and Quezon City with COVID-19 cases. By March 24, Robredo's office had delivered 23,475 sets of PPE to 62 medical facilities and communities across Metro Manila, La Union, and Quezon. Robredo also partnered with fashion designer Mich Dulce to mass-produce PPEs that utilize locally sourced Taffeta fabric; the Vice President pledged to help donate the PPEs to medical professionals across the country.Mass testing
As part of the national government's efforts to conduct mass testing, it began setting up "mega swabbing centers" in May 2020 by re-purposing various existing facilities. The first of such facility opened at the Palacio de Manila along Roxas Boulevard on May 5. These facilities uses reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction kits. The facilities are meant to prioritize the testing of around 25,000 Overseas Filipino Worker repatriates. Two more facilities opened: at the Enderun Colleges in Taguig and the Mall of Asia Arena in PasayA fourth facility is set to be opened at the Philippine Arena which will test residents of Bulacan and Metro Manila. All swab samples collected from the testing centers will be processed by the Philippine Red Cross.
Travel restrictions
, a member of the House of Representatives from Muntinlupa, called on the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines on January 22 to suspend flights from Wuhan to the Philippines. Royal Air Charter Service operates direct flights from Wuhan to Kalibo. By then, Philippine travel visas under the "visa-upon-arrival" program were denied to tourists from Wuhan. On January 24, the Philippine government deported 135 individuals from Wuhan who arrived in the country through the Kalibo International Airport. There were calls for a wider temporary ban on people entering the country from anywhere in China. This was supported by Senators Ralph Recto, Bong Go, Risa Hontiveros, and Francis Pangilinan however, the DOH and the Office of the President find no urgent need for such a measure.On January 31, a travel ban on all Chinese nationals from Hubei and other affected areas in China was imposed. The VUA program for Chinese tourists and businessmen was also suspended. On February 2, a ban was introduced on all foreign travelers who visited China, Hong Kong, and Macau in the past 14 days; Philippine citizens and holders of permanent resident visas were allowed in the country but subjected to a mandatory 14-day quarantine. The Philippine government also ordered a ban on travel to China, Hong Kong, and Macau until further notice. On February 10, the ban was further extended to include Taiwan but was lifted on February 15. On February 14, the DOH announced that a risk assessment carried out to determine if Singapore would be placed under a travel ban. Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced that he would not fully support any official travel bans to Singapore. On February 26, travel to South Korea was banned, except for permanent residents, Filipino leaving for study, and Overseas Filipino Workers returning for work.
The Philippine Ports Authority had barred disembarkation by crew or passengers from vessels that have recently visited China and suspended the visitation privileges of relatives of Filipino seafarers and boarding privileges of non-government organizations providing emotional and spiritual support to seafarers.
On March 19, Locsin announced that the Philippine government would deny the entry of all foreign nationals, effective that day "until further notice". All Philippine embassies and consulates would suspend the issuing of its visas to all foreign nationals and invalidate all existing ones. However, Locsin clarified that visas that had already been issued to families of Filipino nationals would remain valid.
On March 22, the Department of Transportation ordered a travel ban to all foreign nationals, with the exception of returning or repatriated overseas Filipinos, foreign spouses of Filipino citizens, and workers for international organizations and non-governmental organizations accredited in the country.
The Philippines suspended all inbound commercial flight to its international airports for a week starting May 3. From May 11 to June 10, new regulations are imposed on inbound flights to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport with charter flights allowed only on Mondays and Thursdays and commercial flights allowed in all the other five days. All flights require prior clearance from the DFA and CAAP.
Repatriation
The Philippine national government has repatriated citizens from various COVID-19 affected countries and cruise ships. As of April 13, at least 13,000 Overseas Filipino Workers have been repatriated according to the DFA. Philippine Airlines, the country's flag carrier, has volunteered several repatriation flights as early as March.The first of such efforts by the government involved repatriating Filipino nationals in Hubei, China. The government began the repatriation process on January 18. Upon arrival in the Philippines, individuals underwent mandatory quarantine for 14 days.
The Athlete's Village at the New Clark City Sports Hub which also has a clinic run by the Philippine General Hospital was chosen as the quarantine site for repatriated Filipinos and New Clark City was locked down on February 6 in preparation for the arrival of the repatriated.
Military and police
Both the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police have been deployed by the national government as front liners in addressing the pandemic. PNP Chief Archie Gamboa tasked his agency to increase their visibility in various communities and to arrest individuals and groups "without warning" involved in activities that violate quarantine protocols on physical distancing and mass gatherings. Border checkpoints maintained by the AFP, PNP, and the Philippine Coast Guard were installed in areas with community quarantine to control the traffic of people and goods and ultimately contain the spread of the virus across regions during the pandemic.The PNP have also been tasked to arrest individuals who hoard essential goods in stores and to report firms that fail to comply with the directives of the DTI by manipulating the prices of such goods during the pandemic. The Philippine Air Force and Philippine Navy have utilized their aircraft and vessels for the delivery of personal protective equipment and medical supplies, as well as the transportation of health personnel, to various locations around the country.
On March 24, the PNP launched a task force in collaboration with the Department of Information and Communications Technology to search for and apprehend peddlers of misinformation and fake news related to the pandemic, in compliance with the Cybercrime Prevention Act and the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. Both laws penalize fake news peddlers for a jail time of 12 years maximum or a fine of up to .
Since April 15, PNP personnel have donated portions of their salaries to the Department of Finance to help sustain the national government's efforts in addressing the pandemic. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III reported that, as of May 6, the PNP has raised over worth of cash donations.
Following the rise in violations by the public to adhere to quarantine protocols, President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened for both the military and the police to "take over" in enforcing the social distancing and curfew guidelines in a similar fashion to martial law. On April 20, a memo from the AFP regarding stricter quarantine protocols was leaked. The memo was later confirmed.
Since April 20, the AFP has deployed its field kitchens in various locations around the country to provide free meals for homeless people, stranded workers and students, informal settlers, and families in "depressed communities" affected by the quarantine impositions.
In July 2020, the Philippine government announced that the PNP will conduct house-to-house searches for people who might have been infected with COVID-19 and then forcibly relocate them to government-run isolation facilities, which according to Human Rights Watch, is a drug war tactic that will violate the rights of citizens.