State of calamity
THE proposed extension of the state of calamity in the Philippines due to the still raging coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic should be welcomed by everybody.
This after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. himself said he would likely extend the state of calamity until the end of 2022, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
The government first placed the country under a state of calamity on March 16, 2020. And it is set to end on September 12, said DOH officer-in-charge Ma. Rosario Vergeire.
The DOH has relayed to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) its recommendation to extend the state of calamity until the end of the year.
Under our rules, it is the influential NDRRMC that is mandated to recommend to the Chief Executive whether or not to extend the state of calamity in the country.
Reports said the decision of the NDRRMC is much-awaited since the expiration of the state of calamity would have problematic consequences in the Philippines.
One, Republic Act (RA) No. 11525, otherwise known as the “COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021,” is set to expire once the state of calamity ends.
Likewise, all emergency use authorizations issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also ends.
Under a state of calamity, the government is allowed to continue implementing the nationwide vaccination program and utilizing funds for the management of COVID-19.
Thus, extending the state of calamity up to the end of 2022 is a move in the right direction.
