PHILIPPINES— The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on Sunday placed the National Capital Region (NCR) and 38 other areas under Alert Level 1.

The lower alert level will be in force from March 1 to 15, Cabinet Secretary and Palace acting spokesman Karlo Alexei Nograles said.

Other areas in Luzon that will be under Alert Level 1 are Abra, Apayao, Baguio City and Kalinga in the Cordillera Administrative Region; Dagupan City, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan in Region 1; Batanes, Cagayan, City of Santiago, Isabela and Quirino in Region 2; Angeles City, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Olongapo City, Pampanga and Tarlac in Region 3; Cavite and Laguna in Region 4-A; Marinduque, Puerto Princesa City and Romblon in Region 4-B; and Naga City and Catanduanes in Region 5.

Under Alert Level 1 in the Visayas are Aklan, Bacolod City, Capiz and Guimaras in Region 6; Siquijor in Region 7; and Biliran in Region 8.

In Mindanao, the areas under Alert Level 1 are Zamboanga City in Region 9; Cagayan de Oro City and Camiguin in Region 10; and Davao City in Region 11.

Under Alert Level 2 in Luzon are Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Batangas, Lucena City, Quezon, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate and Sorsogon.

Level 2 areas in the Visayas are Antique, Iloilo City, Iloilo province, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Cebu province, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Negros Oriental, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Ormoc City, Southern Leyte, Tacloban City and Western Samar.

Level 2 areas in Mindanao are Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay, Bukidnon, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental and Davao Occidental, General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Butuan City, Dinagat Islands, Basilan, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City and Lanao Del Sur.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said on Sunday the IATF-EID will have to first release the updated guidelines for indoor and outdoor activities under Alert Level 1.

The factors considered in lowering the alert level include a low to minimal risk case classification, total bed utilization rate of less than 50 percent, full vaccination of 70 percent of the target population, and full vaccination of 80 percent of senior citizens.

Año also called for more volunteers for the fourth mass vaccination drive scheduled for the second week of March.

Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center chairperson Dr. Myrna Cabotaje said March 7 is the recommended date for the inoculation blitz, which will prioritize children and senior citizens.

Año said about 63 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

The government aims to fully vaccinate 77 million by the end of March, and 90 million by the time President Rodrigo Duterte steps down from office on June 30.

Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez expects the shift to Alert Level 1 to generate 500,000 more jobs.

“We are running the numbers, depending on other provinces and HUCs (highly urbanized cities) that will be de-escalated. If we assume [the] de-escalation of NCR and key cities and provinces, we hope to generate around 500,000 more jobs over time,” Lopez said in a Viber message over the weekend.

The business community “can expect lesser restrictions, on remaining operating capacity, removal of physical barriers, [and] work from home as optional. But [it is] important to keep a mask, regular disinfection, ventilation, and vaccination,” he said, adding that the Philippines is on its way to returning to the 5 percent pre-pandemic unemployment rate as the economy continues to recover.

“[We are] getting close to it. [I] Am basing on hitting the pre-pandemic unemployment rate of 5 percent which was our average before. Thus we can expect to generate 800,000 more jobs over time for the entire country once we remove the balance restrictions,” he said.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that as of December 2021, the number of unemployed was estimated at 3.27 million, or an unemployment rate of 6.6 percent.

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