President Duterte is pushing for a continuous trade of medicine, medical equipment and supplies, as well as food items within the Asean amid the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crisis.
In his speech during the Special Asean Summit on Covid-19, which was held on Tuesday through teleconferencing, the President said Asean member-states could more effectively respond against the pandemic disease united rather than individually.
He noted that while the initial response of each Asean state, including Philippines, is to close their respective borders to limit the chances of entry of more Covid-19 cases, he said the measure may not sustainable in the long run.
“Asean must remain open for trade. Crisis or no crisis, as no country can stand alone. Let us, therefore ensure the supply chain connectivity and the smooth flow of goods within the region,” Duterte said.
Intra-Asean trade
HE said this holds especially true for medicines and medical equipment, which he lamented is now in short supply internationally due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which already infected 1.7 million people worldwide.
“We need to boost production and facilitate intra-Asean trade of these life-saving necessities,” President Duterte said.
Of similar importance, he pointed out, is the trade of food, particularly rice, since it could affect “socioeconomic and political stability” of a country.
The Philippines remains heavily reliant on imports for its supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) due to its lack of sufficient manufacturer of the said items.
The country also regularly imports rice, usually from its neighboring countries, to augment its supply of the staple food. Recently, it has imported 400,000 metric ton of rice from Vietnam, which is expected to arrive this month, to ensure it will have sufficient stockpile for the duration of the Covid-19 crisis.
United front
Aside from trade, President Duterte also called on Asean countries for efforts to combat the spread of Covid-19 through the development of vaccine for it.
He urged Asean members to support research initiatives related to the development of the said vaccine.
“For its part, the Philippines is ready to join solidarity with clinical trials for Covid-19 treatment,” the President said.
The Department of Health (DOH) earlier said the World Health Organization (WHO) has invited the Philippines to join the said international initiative.
President Duterte also expressed his support for Thailand’s proposal to establish a Covid-19 Asean response fund to be used in financing such research, as well as the purchase of medical equipment and supplies.
To minimize the impact of future pandemics in Asean, President Duterte also proposed the creation of an “early warning system for diseases in the region.
“Covid-19 will not be the last pandemic the world will face. We have to be ready for future outbreaks. We therefore have to improve and expand existing Asean’s mechanisms to cover public emergencies,” he said.
During the summit, the President also thanked Brunei Darussalam and Singapore for their timely aid to the country’s Covid-19 response.
Image credits: AP/Aaron Favila