FOLLOWING the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of the end of the global health emergency from Covid-19 earlier this month, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the country will now shift its priorities from pandemic response to economic development.
“We can now refocus our priorities on the development of our economy and the betterment of the lives of ordinary Filipinos,” Marcos said in his speech at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) headquarters in Mandaluyong City on Monday.
He said the government will now intensify its efforts to transform the economy so it will be better than its prepandemic levels.
“Our goal is still to evolve our economy into one that is defined by sustainability, climate-resilience, responsiveness and of course inclusivity,” Marcos said.
Under the government’s two-pronged “transformative agenda,” the government will push for programs that develop and protect the capabilities of individuals and families, while at the same time boost industry production to help in the generation of more quality jobs.
“To facilitate the whole transformation process, these must be firmly implanted on the foundation of an enabling government environment that encompasses key aspects and sectors, such as peace and justice, infrastructure, inclusive finance, good governance, and climate and disaster resilience,” Marcos said.
He said the government will coordinate with ADB and other multilateral lending institutions to achieve this goal of “transformative journey.”
Marcos stressed that universal health protocols will remain in place despite an economic-centered agenda.
Earlier this month, WHO said the pandemic is no longer a global health emergency of international concern amid the growing population immunity against Covid-19, coupled with declining fatalities from the disease.
Since it started recording Covid-19 incidents, WHO registered over 765 million Covid-19 cases worldwide.
