Published July 11, 2020, 11:57 AM
by Glazyl Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis is estimated to have brought about P9.57 billion in economic losses to Negros Occidental.

This was disclosed by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson during his recent State of the Provincial Address (SOPA) at the Provincial Capitol here, earlier this week.

Former congressman Albee Benitez, who is currently the provincial consultant for economic affairs, said that around 976,000 workers in the informal economy were highly affected during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), which lasted for about a month, while around 83,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the province were also adversely affected, which could result in potential loss of P7 billion in cash remittances.

Lacson said they saw the need for decisive action and innovations to address public health and economic concerns.

Thus, department and office heads, as well as chiefs of hospitals, had a short-term planning session for the recovery plans for each cluster, which include the projects, programs, and activities, identified gaps, and the necessary interventions that focused on how to sustain and prevent losses in the business sector, the governor said.

He said that Benitez initiated a recovery plan framework, and the province also planned to move towards the future by investing in digital revolution.

Through the digital revolution program, the province will create smart cities, systems and infrastructure. It will bring all local government units (LGUs), all hospitals, schools into a network where they will have connectivity with each other.

Lacson said the government, as an institution, must remain strong, responsive and more efficient than ever amid this pandemic.

The province has reported a total of 167 COVID-19 confirmed cases, as of July 10, with 26 recoveries, and 13 suspected cases. It also has more than 4,800 persons under monitoring (PUMs) actively monitored by the Provincial Health Office (PHO). More than 70 of these PUMs are currently in the provincial quarantine facilities.

Lacson also revealed that a total of 6,945 locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and OFWs have been repatriated to the province via sweeper flights and 2GO Malasakit Voyage from March 30 to June 30. Of the total number, 5,493 were LSIs and 1,452 were OFWs.