MANILA - The Duterte administration has adopted a 10-point policy agenda meant to accelerate and sustain the country’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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EO No. 166, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, March 21 but only made public by Malacañang on Wednesday, laid down the Philippine government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy, as recommended by the economic development cluster:

1. 1. Strengthen healthcare capacity
   2. Accelerate and expand the vaccination program
   3. Further reopen the economy and expand public transport capacity
   4. Resume face-to-face learning
   5. Reduce restrictions on domestic travel and standardize local government unit (LGU) requirements
   6. Relax requirements for international travel
   7. Accelerate digital transformation through legislative measures
   8. Provide for enhanced and flexible emergency measures through legislation
   9. Shift the focus of decision-making and government reporting to more useful and empowering metrics
   10. Medium-term preparation for pandemic resilience.

“The State hereby adopts the 10-point policy agenda to sustain and accelerate economic recovery, and to drive broad-based expansions across various productive sectors, in the midst of challenges brought about by the continued persistence of COVID-19,” the order reads.

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It also directs government agencies, offices, including government-owned and controlled corporations, and state universities and colleges to make sure that the measures and programs would adhere with the principles.

Duterte directed the COVID-19 task forces to ensure the proper implementation of the 10-point policy, while the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) was tasked to monitor the compliance of concerned agencies and periodically report to the President.

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In a statement on Thursday, Presidential Communications Secretary and Acting Presidential Spokesperson Martin Andanar confirmed that the President has signed the EO No. 166.

Andanar clarified that the order is part of the country’s efforts to prepare for the new normal.

"Unless Executive Order No.166 is modified or revoked, it would remain effective and operational," he said.

The capital region and 47 other areas in the country are under the loosest Alert Level 1, as new COVID-19 cases continued to drop.

Philippines has recorded less than 600 daily new cases in the past 7 days, while the number of active infections at 44,597 is the lowest since Jan. 5, ABS-CBN Data Analytics head Edson Guido said.

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