MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has "recommended" extending the state of calamity in the Philippines due to COVID-19 until the end of the year, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday.

The state of calamity, set to lapse on Sept. 12, allows local governments to implement the coronavirus vaccination program, tap quick response funds to contain COVID-19, and control the prices of basic necessities.

Government's emergency procurement, tax exemptions for donors, price controls for COVID-19 drugs and testing kits, and health workers' benefits will also cease once the state of calamity ends, the DOH earlier said.

Marcos is considering amendments to the COVID-19 Vaccination Act of 2021 as a "cover" when the state of calamity ends, though these might not be feasible given the time frame, said DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire.

"We cannot have this one month para magawa natin 'yon. So sabi niya, he recommends na siguro i-extend na lang [ang state of calamity] hanggang matapos ang taon," she said in a press briefing.

(We cannot do that in just one month. So he said, he recommends perhaps just extending the state of calamity until the year ends.)

The DOH also recommended the state of calamity extension to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), which makes suggestions to the President, said Vergeire.

"We recommended and a full council meeting was held last Monday where we already resolved that the recommendations will be submitted already to the President," she said.

• Palace: Extension of COVID-19 state of calamity rests on DOH recommendation

The Philippines on Tuesday logged 1,326 new COVID-19 cases, raising the country's total to 3,894,840, the DOH said.

Active infections stood at 23,272, it added.

At least 72.6 million people in the country have been fully vaccinated against the respiratory disease, of whom 18.3 million have received their booster shots.

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Video from PTV