WESTERN Visayas' economy cluster led by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) in Western Visayas has tackled its new strategies and priority programs, projects and activities under the National Action Plan against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) Phase II (NAP-Phase II).
Neda-Western Visayas Regional Director Ro-Ann Bacal, in a virtual meeting with cluster members recently, presented the general concept of NAP-Phase II, which aims to reinforce the region's economic recovery while balancing it with health response.
Bacal, in a statement, said NAP-Phase II eyes to sustain the region's health and economic gains, address the resurgence of Covid-19 cases and create a better climate for economic activities as it reopens amid the pandemic.
The economy cluster committee is composed of 27 regional line agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations, local government units, and private sector organizations in the region.
The members presented some of their priority programs, projects and activities to accelerate the economic recovery as Covid-19 cases in the region continue to rise.
For the Department of Health (DOH), for instance, the agency emphasized the need to expand the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing in the region by covering two percent of the general population until the year ends.
At present, only 0.59 percent of the region's general population has undergone the said testing. While the utilization of critical care facilities and daily processing of samples are within the target.
The region needs additional 5,011 contact tracing personnel, it said.
The NAP-Phase II Framework is being implemented in July to September this year.
Its six lines of effort included response, resource management and logistics, food security, management of the returning overseas Filipinos, strategic communication, and recovery.
Neda-Western Visayas said the NAP-Phase II aims to contain and manage the spread of the virus, inform the citizens on minimum health standards, develop adaptive and resilient communities and facilitate the economic recovery.
It said the economy cluster will oversee the performance of the 12 economic drivers in the region.
These are agriculture, fisheries, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and large manufacturers, information technology-business process management (IT-BPMs), wholesalers and retailers, hotels and tourism-related establishments, property developers, private contractors, social institutions, financial institutions, port operations and transportation groups.
The regional director further said the cluster will convene regularly to attain the said objectives towards a robust and resilient regional economy under the new normal.
The NAP against Covid-19, she said, serves as the overall national strategy to deal with the pandemic and its aftermath in terms of health and economic outcomes.
It was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) through Resolution No. 15.
The NAP Phase I was implemented in March to June with a focus on mitigation.
On July 2, the IATF-EID through Resolution No. 51 approved the NAP-Phase II which focuses on primary economic recovery from July to September.
The NAP Phase III, which seeks to sustain the gains of NAP Phase II, is slated to be implemented in October to December this year. (EPN)