Adoption of the Ten-Point Policy Agenda on Economic Recovery
Section 1.
Adoption of the Ten-Point Policy Agenda on Economic Recovery. —The State hereby adopts the Ten-Point Policy Agenda to sustain and accelerate economic recovery, and to drive broad-based expansions across various productive sectors, in the midst of challenges brought abut by the continued persistence of COVID-19. Subject to strict compliance with minimum public health standards, all Government departments, bureaus, offices, agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or -controlled corporations and state universities and colleges, are directed, and local government units (LGUs) are enjoined, to ensure that all related policies, measures and programs are aligned with the following principles:
1.— Strengthen Healthcare Capacity. —The National Government shall take appropriate measures to expand the healthcare capacity across the country, and align with the global standards of health workers and other health resources to population ratios;
2.— Accelerate and Expand the Vaccination Program. —The National Government shall ensure that vaccination sites are expanded, artificial barriers to vaccination are reduced, and procedures relating thereto are streamlined. Subject to existing laws and regulations, restrictions on the use of vaccine stocks by the private sector shall be reduced;
3.— Further Reopen the Economy and Expand Public Transport Capacity. —Economic and social activities shall be safely resumed, while maintaining the current alert level system, removing age-based restrictions on mobility, and further expanding public transport capacity;
4.— Resume Face-to-Face Learning. —The National Government shall strengthen efforts towards the safe resumption of face-to-face learning, and capitalize on the gains achieved in the conduct of pilot face-to-face schooling;
5.— Reduce Restrictions on Domestic Travel and Standardize LGU Requirements. —The National Government shall streamline and standardize requirements for domestic travel and local tourism, and maximize the use of information and communications technology solutions to ease related processes. Except as otherwise reasonably required by the LGU of destination, domestic travel requirements shall be limited to vaccination cards or negative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test results for unvaccinated individuals and/or an inter-scannable Quick Response (QR) Code;
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 shall ensure the interoperability of QR codes from various contact tracing applications;
6.— Relax Requirements for International Travel. —The National Government shall endeavor to further relax requirements relating to international travel and provide quarantine exemptions for vaccinated individuals coming into the country, in order to boost international tourism, increase foreign investments, and restore jobs in the tourism sector;
7.— Accelerate Digital transformation through Legislative Measures. —The National Government shall prioritize the passage of key legislation on digital transformation to improve connectivity and facilitate the country's digital transformation;
8.— Provide for Enhanced and Flexible Emergency Measures through Legislation. —To complement Republic Act (RA) No. 10121 or the "Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010," the Nation al Government shall formulate and propose legislation that would allow the efficient roll-out of emergency programs during pandemics. ᇈWᑭHIL The proposed legislation may include measures such as the establishment of a stand-by fund to be utilized during pandemics, grant of authority to re-allocate funds for pandemic response, lifting of the ceilings on the use of Quick Response Funds, relaxation of data privacy requirements, and standardization of special risk allowance, hazard pay and other reasonablw forms of compensation to healthcare workers;
9.— Shift the Focus of Decision-Making and Government Reporting to More Useful and Empowering Metrics. —The National Government shall ensure that policies on economic recovery, as well as government reports on COVID-19 cases, primarily take into consideration the: (i) total severe or critical cases; (ii) case fatality ration; and (iii) total vaccinations, with the objective of avoiding unnecessary changes in alert levels and encouraging people to get vaccinate; and
10.— Medium-Term Preparation for Pandemic Resilience. —The National Government shall formulate and develop a Comprehensive Pandemic Response Framework to ensure the country's resilience against future pandemics, taking into consideration international best practices, as well as the country's experience im handling the COVID-19 pandemic, The Government shall likewise endeavor to strengthen health and social protection systems.