"Of interest over Welfare: Sacrificing the folk for the 'economy'"
It seems that there are two choices this Duterte regime should choose:
a. to sacrifice the very order he sworn and benefited about, or,
b. sacrifice the health and wellbeing of the Filipino folk.
For National Economic Development Authority head Kendrick Chua, he'd rather save the order by placing the entire country under "Modified General Community Quarantine." This MGCO means removing social distancing rules in vehicles, bringing back operations in moviehouses, face to face classes, and even relaxed procedures on domestic travel (which includes less or no need for quarantine nor testing).
And this proposed MGCQ is to be set amidst the growing COVID19 cases with rising infection and death rates-what more of half-hearted government actions especially on mass testing and vaccine distribution.
And it is not surprising, for the fact that orderists would chose to save the order especially its neoliberal capitalist economy, they have no choice but to let the markets open, letting investors enter, with new exploitative policies, and make "business as usual"- otherwise, they have to provide not just a subsidy, but a "universal basic income" as almost half of the labouring folk are unemployed or having a slashed wage. They have to save capitalism for if not, the state will force to take over existing enterprises and employ people not for the sake of employment but also producing the necessary needs the market lacks of. They have to save capitalism, or consumers will fail to pay utilities such as electricity and water, especially in a time companies like Meralco and Maynilad to increase their dues.
And last but not the least, the order has to save capitalism or else, it forces each and every company, especially those who earn billions of pesos, to "share their wealth" to those who are deeply affected by this hell of a kind pandemic.
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On the contrary, Duterte himself seemingly toying on the idea of returning to lockdowns contrary to what his economic advisers wished for a relaxed quarantine procedures. But this lockdown-centric approach has resulted in massive losses in terms of jobs and income, making economic managers and members of the "Task Force Against COVID19" insist "opening up" the economy even for the sake of stimulating production for much-needed funds regardless of risk.
During the early months of the pandemic (under "Enhanced Community Quarantine"), only production-based "backliners", such as in manufacturing and agriculture, were given priorities along with medical frontliners, despite slashed incomes, compressed work weeks, and downsized staff and personnel. But the fact that unemployment rose, establishments under threat of closure, and very paltry subsidies given by the state, Duterte's treatment of the pandemic is but a half-hearted one that's limited to quarantining and social distancing restrictions which it imposes with severity using police and military forces. But this doesn't escape the fact that it failed to put into place a system of mass testing, rapid contact tracing to isolate the Covid-19 virus and prevent its spread as well as immediate treatment for those affected by the virus.
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For sure from those acts that talked about "heal, recover, and arise as one" (including other related acts such as "CREATE bill") meant all of these: to save the capitalist-oriented economy with less or no planning, that the government has to borrow money while letting the market decide for everything including those of getting more foreign investors in exchange for less or no regulations (such as those related to labor and environment). Of course, the government has to save capitalism by any means even by debt driven growth, and wouldn't be surprised from these laws that "it doesn't matter the people will pay those debts through big, onerous taxes even after Duterte leaves and someone fills the seat; but the important is for the order making profits even at the expense of the folk". True that the government is in need of funds that meant to support its programs and all, but come to think of this: no matter what the administration and its apologists would defend these bills, the fact that president Duterte has his own biggest chunk of the budget (meant for his pet programs) shows that there's a misplaced priority such as consolidating his order and those of entrenched interests rather than providing services that's for the people.
And thus, no wonder the folk realise that the regime is as same as the predecessors: assuming to be for "change" only to found that it is all but a continuity of things past: interest seekers, profiteers, exploiters, and at worst, murderers. Hope that in this pandemic that the folk should assert for a sound wage and salary increases; monthly economic subsidies for workers who lost their jobs, low-income or no-income families, poor peasants and farmworkers; production subsidies for small livestock raisers, as well as rice and vegetable farmers, all alongside the need for mass testing, support for health workers, and a serious treatment and vaccination program against COVID19.