AFTER THE LOCKDOWN WHAT?

By Philip M. Lustre Jr.

The first extension of the lockdown is about to end by April 30. Yet, it could not be ascertained if a second extension would be necessary. This is an unsettled issue within the Duterte administration.

The dynamics within the largely dysfunctional government has been upsetting, to say the least. At the one end, Sonny Dominguez, the chief revenue guy, was said to have been arguing for another lockdown extension until mid-May, saying the government has sufficient funds to subsidize the requirements of the majority – the poor.

Dominguez was said to have favored a second lockdown extension mainly to avoid a “second strike,” a concept similar to a relapse when new outbreaks among the local population occur to trigger a new and longer lockdown.

But Dominguez was said to have favored the reopening of the national economy after the second lockdown extension provided that it would have to be gradual. He has proposed of another round of increasing the excise taxes on cigarettes, beer, and alcoholic drinks to finance the lockdown, but his proposal has been rebuffed in the Cabinet.

On the other end, certain Cabinet members who have gravitated to Ernesto Pernia, the economic planning secretary who resigned earlier, wanted to jumpstart the Philippine economy by end-April to bring back its usual vigor and dynamism.

DILG Secretary Ed Ano was said to have joined Pernia, as he insisted that a second local extension would not be sustainable. There are views that extending the lockdown would greatly affect he poor and downtrodden. They will die of hunger, not the dreaded virus, a source said.

The dynamics of debates could not lead to anything concrete on policy decisions because of two essential unresolved issues:

1. The lack of reliable baseline data that could be used for policy-making; and
2. The failure of the national health system to contain the spread of the China-Duterte Virus.

Because of the two factors, the administration of the sick crazy old man has yet to come out with a national emergency action program to combat the dreaded virus.

The Inter-Agency Task Force to Combat Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), composed of five retired military generals, has yet to fulfill its mandate to serve as the crisis committee of sort on the development of the emergency program that has to be pursued on a nationwide scale.

According to another source, the daily count of the Department of Health hardly provides the overall picture that could be used for developing the national action program. It could not be ascertained whether current efforts have somehow “flattened the curve” on the basis of the DoH data, the source sid.

The national action program includes the curative aspect where victims are segregated from the population and treated during the lockdown period. It also includes to the rehabilitation aspect in the post-lockdown era. It could include community programs mainly to bring back normalcy to affected communities.

But what nags the issue of a national action program is DoH’s inability to contain the disease and use the DoH organization to nip it in the bud. It could not provide the essential requirements like PPEs and other equipment for the frontline medical workers.The inability of the DoH to conduct and facilitate mass testing is another unresolved issue.

It has been claimed the DoH suffers from poor leadership and lack of foresight. Francisco Duque III is notorious for incompetence. He is described the weak link in the current lockdown program.

So what will happen after the lockdown?

Even the top officials are lost and confused. The sick crazy old man could not even comprehend the extent of the crisis. This is a question that would remain a question for the coming days. In the absence of reliable official data, they have to be play it by ear, or gut feel.