Marcos ‘hesitant’ to extend state of calamity, restrict arrivals from China
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said he is "hesitant" to extend the state of calamity in the country over COVID-19 and is also unsure of whether the Philippines should impose additional rules for arrivals from China, where cases are on the rise.
The president in September extended the state of calamity until the end of the year to allow the government to implement programs to address the pandemic and to use funds for COVID-19 response.
"We are not in a state of calamity anymore, technically speaking," Marcos Jr. said on Thursday. "That is the wrong mindset to be approaching the new year with."
However, the chief executive said the government is looking for ways to continue providing benefits, such as allowances, to healthcare workers.
Earlier this week, the Department of Health sought the extension of the state of calamity, which is set to lapse on December 31. The call for an extension was backed by the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc., citing a reported 16,000 active COVID-19 cases.
DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the extension would help the agency implement the country’s COVID-19 response and allow it to establish its own Center for Disease Prevention and Control office.
Despite seeking a longer state of calamity, the DOH is not sold on imposing additional restrictions on arrivals from China, saying current precautions are enough.
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Other countries, such as the United States and Italy, have made COVID-19 testing mandatory for travelers from China. When COVID-19 started to spread around the world in 2020, the Philippines hesitated to close its borders, with then President Rodrigo Duterte saying calls to do so were Sinophobic.
Marcos Jr. said additional restrictions should only be imposed if it’s "based on science and we feel that there’s a need."
"If it’s something that is manageable then I’m sure we can find a way to not completely close our broders to China but to find a way to have a procedure so those coming from China who may have been exposed or who may have been infected will be tested," the chief executive said.
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