RECOVERY PLAN. The Provincial Capitol building in Iloilo City. Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said on Friday (June 5, 2020) the province has been preparing its rehabilitation and recovery strategy plan to address the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. (PNA file photo)
ILOILO CITY – Iloilo’s provincial government has begun crafting its rehabilitation and recovery strategy plan to cushion the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis.
The province will prioritize the concerns on agriculture, tourism, and public transportation, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said in an interview late Friday afternoon.
“Our priority will be agriculture because there are a lot of unsold products, as well as loss in capital; and then, the tourism industry because of zero tourist arrivals; and then the public sector because of the restriction on transportation. But of course, almost everybody is affected,” Defensor said.
He said the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) has been preparing a draft recovery plan, which would be converted into programs and projects that would uplift the economy.
“You have the direction, which is this, but you have to reduce it into budget. What will you add to the strategy and budget of the province for 2020? That is the challenge. What will be your innovations for you to say that you have a recovery program that will really stimulate the economy?” Defensor said.
He estimated at more than PHP10 billion the losses the province incurred from March 15 to April 30 when the enhanced community quarantine was imposed.
Based on data from the provincial government released in a press statement on Saturday, losses suffered by the tourism sector amounted to PHP1.1 billion; business and trade industry, PHP4.8 billion; and the agriculture sector, PHP103 million.
The transport sector was also not spared from the impact of the health crisis, with losses reaching PHP59.8 million for jeepneys and PHP44.6 million for buses.
Losses from the sea and air transport have yet to be determined.
Defensor said 379,060 formal and informal workers from 38 local government units in the province were affected by the health crisis, resulting in roughly PHP2.4 billion losses in employment.
Stoppage in construction projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways 6 (Western Visayas) resulted in a loss of PHP117 million, affecting 5,280 workers.
About PHP2 billion was cut from the income of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry. (PNA)
