Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Monday said he was for placing the entire country under Alert Level 1, the most lenient classification in the country’s alert level system.
“’Yun ang ating adhikain d’yan. Dapat buong Pilipinas under Alert Level 1 para talagang halos ang ating restriction na lang ay minimum public health standards at ang iba’t ibang bayan ay umunlad at mag-take off na,” he said in a Teleradyo interview.
Año said having a uniform alert level nationwide would boost economic growth.
“Ang layunin talaga natin dito, buong Pilipinas mag-Alert Level 1 kasi marami pa ring naiiwan na mga probinsya at mga municipalities na under Alert Level 2, eh hindi natin ma-maximize ‘yung ating economic growth natin,” he said.
The Department of Health earlier said the entire Philippines must be under Alert Level 1 before the government would start de-escalating areas to Alert Level 0.
Metro Manila, the nation’s economic capital, is under Alert Level 1 until April 15.
More than 72 percent of the country’s target population have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. John Ezekiel J. Hirro