By JULIA MARI ORNEDO,GMA News, 6 Jan 2021
Contrary to the advice of health experts, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno encouraged Filipinos to go out even amid the coronavirus pandemic and to stop “cowering” at home to boost the economy.
According to Cedric Castillo’s “24 Oras” report on Wednesday, Diokno said visits to establishments and parks were nearing pre-pandemic levels.
“As of December 29, 2020, visits to places such as grocery and pharmacy and park have approached their pre-COVID levels,” he said.
“The important thing is [to] gain confidence. We have to learn to live with the virus. Let’s not keep cowering and hiding in our residences,” he added.
Authorities have repeatedly urged the public to stay at home and avoid going out for non-essential reasons to contain COVID-19 transmission.
The pandemic has also stretched the country’s medical resources and personnel, with exhausted health workers pleading for a temporary return to tightened restrictions last August to give them time to regroup.
Diokno said the BSP observes the government’s health guidelines.
Meanwhile, he expressed confidence that the Philippine economy will bounce back from the pandemic by the middle of 2022.
“What we’ve lost last year, we’ll fully recover by middle of next year. Not optimistic. That’s a realistic view of the economy. We have learned our lessons. And as I said, when the pandemic hit us, we were in a position of strength,” he said.
“The 6.5 to 7.5% projection for next year is based on the assumption that we will be able to vaccinate a great majority of our people by the first half of 2022. Any early introduction of the vaccine in the Philippines will even improve that.”
The Philippines aims to vaccinate 50 to 70 million Filipinos against COVID-19 in 2021. However, there are still no authorized vaccines in the country.
The country has logged 480,737 infections as of Wednesday afternoon. — BM, GMA News
July 2025
Nutrition Month
“Give us much more than P50 increase
for proper nutrition!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideosturesVideos
July
3 July – International Day of Cooperatives
3 July – International Plastic Bag Free Day
5 July – World Youth Skills Day
7 July – Global Forgiveness Day
11 July – World Population Day
17 July – World Day for International Justice
28 July – World Nature Conservation Day
30 July – World Day against Trafficking in Persons
Monthly Observances:
Schools Safety Month
Nutrition Month
National Disaster Consciousness Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 2: Cultural Communities Week
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise
Development Week
Week 3: National Science and
Technology Week
National Disability Prevention and
Rehabilitation Week
July 1-7:
National Culture Consciousness Week
July 13-19:
Philippines Business Week
Week ending last Saturday of July:
Arbor Week
Daily Observances:
First Saturday of July:
International Cooperative Day
in the Philippines
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