AN extended lockdown will provide an opportunity to smooth out the logistics snags encountered during the first 30 days of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), a business school expert said.
In a webinar Monday, Thames International Business School lecturer Norman H. Adriano said the logistics and supply chain industries can help the government improve the flow of critical goods during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
“This must include all stakeholders outside Metro Manila, such as VisMin (Visayas and Mindanao) because they are a food source for Luzon.”
He added that policies and rules set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) must be communicated to enforcers manning the checkpoints.
Business groups have said that the movement of goods was hampered at checkpoints due to a failure to disseminate unified policies on movement exemptions, with some local governments enforcing their own rules.
Mr. Adriano also said companies have suffered disruptions to their operations due to challenges in procuring raw materials since the beginning of the ECQ.
He added that the ban on public transport also affects the supply chain as workers are unable to report for duty.
Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez supports a two-week ECQ extension and then a gradual lifting of movement restrictions.
Mr. Lopez told reporters Monday that he does not want to lose the gains made during the ECQ.
“Need to see the flattening of the curve, and more health and isolation facilities. Then followed by gradual lifting of (restrictions on) other essential and job-generating sectors.”
He said last week that the easing of the lockdown should come in phases, noting that some sectors such as manufacturing may resume operations, with frequent health checks and social distancing still enforced.
The government’s decision points for lifting or extending ECQ include various considerations such as the trend in COVID-19 cases, the capacity of the health care system, and social, economic, and security factors.
Roger Lee, Director of the Singapore Institute of Materials Management, said in the webinar that to address limitations in company resources, businesses must band together.
“Through their associations, individual companies will talk to the government… to negotiate with the government in terms of the impact… in terms of unemployment within the company.”
He proposed resilience packages from the government to help fund wages, and resource sharing, including the sharing of trucks. — Jenina P. Ibañez
