PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has cited “economic reasons” for taking his time in appointing a permanent secretary of health, stressing that he will do so as soon as the country’s coronavirus pandemic situation “normalizes” from its current state of calamity.
At present, the Department of Health (DOH) is headed by its officer-in-charge, Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire.
As the Chief Executive spoke, the DOH was releasing updates on coronavirus variants XBB and XBC, confirming the presence in the country of these Omicron recombinants, along with their local transmission.
Marcos said he would not appoint a health secretary now because “we have to get away from the emergency, the emergency stance of the DOH, because we have to open up businesses. We have to make the Philippines more hospitable to travelers, both business and tourists.”
‘In reality, the Marcos administration maintains the state of calamity to enable health workers to legally receive additional benefits provided for by law, and to have access to donated vaccines from abroad.’
The President said the government is currently “looking for ways so that we can normalize it and we don’t have to say that the Philippines is still in a state of calamity.”
Former president Rodrigo Duterte initially declared a nationwide state of calamity in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic when he issued Proclamation 929, then extended it with Proclamation No. 1218. Marcos said it was not yet time to lift the state of calamity.
In reality, the Marcos administration maintains the state of calamity to enable health workers to legally receive additional benefits provided for by law, and to have access to donated vaccines from abroad.
But this label gives the Philippines the wrong image that we are unnecessarily suffering from widespread cases of COVID-19, and therefore invites downsides in travel and tourism industries.
Mr. Marcos should strike a balance between these two national concerns to be able to govern well at this time when the economy is being battered with various local and international pressures.
