MECQ reimposition may slow PH economic recovery

Bringing Metro Manila and nearby provinces back to a stricter Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) risks slowing down the country's economic recovery, despite the measure being aimed at curbing the rise in COVID-19 cases.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III acknowledged that the short-term effects of the MECQ could negatively impact livelihoods, consumer demand, and production.

However, Dominguez expressed optimism that if the MECQ period is effectively utilized to boost medical resources and halt the virus's spread, it could prove beneficial in the long run.

President Duterte approved the return to MECQ for Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal from August 4 to 18, responding to the healthcare sector's plea for a respite amid surging infections.

Economic indicators such as tax collection and the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) had shown improvement in June as the economy gradually reopened before the reimposition of stricter quarantine measures.