A Philippine National Situationer on the COVID-19 Pandemic 17 adjusting to a “new normal” type of education as they are confronted by remote and blended learning methodologies. Meanwhile, many poor families cannot afford the technologies accompanying this instructional method, hence the risk of dropping out this school year. Furthermore, women, particularly in urban poor communities, become even more vulnerable to abuse and harassment as many families are confined to their cramped dwellings. The government programs discussed in the previous sections were aimed to benefit the more vulnerable groups, yet figures on the worsening conditions of the basic sectors tell a different story. This is evident, particularly among the working classes. The PSA (2020a) reported that in April 2020, the number of Filipinos who became unemployed has reached 7.3 million or a jobless rate of 17.7 percent, as compared to the April 2019 unemployment rate of 5.1 percent. Meanwhile, the employment rate in the same period declined dramatically to 82.3 percent or 33.8 million compared to 94.9 percent or 41.8 million employed persons last year. Moreover, the number of workers who had a job but did not work in 2019 was 447,000, but it grew significantly in 2020 reaching 12 million workers or 28 percent of the labor force (Lim 2020). On the other hand, informal sector workers, such as public transport drivers, street vendors, domestic workers, and self-employed individuals, among others, with no job security are most affected by this pandemic. Under the quarantine regime, the government has banned public transportation. Jeepney drivers, who number from 55,000 to 70,000 in Metro Manila, carried the burden of this policy with income losses of at least Php 78,000 in three months (IBON Foundation 2020). Meanwhile, women and children continually experience abuse and harassment during the lockdown. The DOJ reported a threefold increase in online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) due to the failure to block prohibited materials by telecommunication companies. Comparing the data from 2019 with reported cyber tips of 76,561 to 279,166 cyber tips from March to May 2020 shows an increase Table 3 Employment situation in the Philippines, April 2019 and 2020 April 2020 April 2019 73,722 72,539 Labor force participation rate (in %) 55.6 61.4 Employment rate (in %) 82.3 94.9 Unemployment rate (in %) 17.7 5.1 Underemployment rate (in %) 18.9 13.5 Total population, 15 years old and over (in ‘000) Source: PSA 2020a