38 Addressing Inequality During the Pandemic overtime pay for the extra 77 days that they were required to work during an extended school year.142 163 The CHR Regional Office II received several complaints from women who have entered into compromise agreements for the support of their children. According to them, during the pandemic, their husbands/partners have failed to fully comply with their obligations for the reason that they stopped working due to the closure of establishments not considered essential during the ECQ or MECQ period. 143 164 Businesses in the Cordilleras have been struck hard by the pandemic and are at the brink of shutting down due to financial losses. In fact, many of them have already closed either temporarily or permanently. Nevertheless, some are keeping their businesses afloat despite heavy losses. To cope with the adverse effects of the pandemic, business owners have availed themselves of basic support services from the government agencies. Their employees have benefited from the free COVID-19 vaccines offered by the government. The active rollout of the vaccines have helped Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) slowly recover amidst the present crisis as they gradually resume business operations.144 165 The business environment was also adversely affected by the pandemic. To maintain the people’s right to a healthy life, economic rights cannot take a back seat if we are to ensure that people continuously enjoy freedom from poverty. The program of DTI-CAR aimed at helping Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs) should help sustain the economy and labor force in the region.145 Right to Water 166 The top three regions with the highest percentage of families with basic service sanitation facilities were Cagayan Valley (87.5%), CALABARZON (87.4%), and Region III-Central Luzon (87.2%). On the other hand, the three regions with the lowest percentage were BARMM (39.3%), Region XI-Davao (72.0%), and SOCCSKSARGEN (72.5%). In addition, BARMM had the highest percentage of families with unimproved service level facilities (24.4%) and families practicing open defecation with no toilet facility (19.6%) 146 167 Urban (80.9%) and rural (79.9%) areas had almost similar proportions of families with access to basic sanitation facilities. Urban area coverage with 15.7% of families using limited sanitation facilities was higher than that in rural areas at 11.2%. On the contrary, the number of rural families practicing open defecation (5.6%) was higher than that of urban families (1.6%)147 142 Adonis, M. (2021). Teachers demand OT pay in pandemic-hit school year. Retrieved from https://newsinfo.inquirer. net/1419262/teachers-demand-ot-pay-in-pandemic-hit-school-year 143 Commission on Human Rights Regional Office II. (2021, August). Human Rights Situationer Report January to June 2021. 144 Commission on Human Rights Cordillera Administrative Region. (2021, August). HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION REPORT ON THE MONITORING OF COVID-19 VACCINATION PROGRAM CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION. 145 Commission on Human Rights Cordillera Administrative Region. (2021, August). HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION REPORT ON THE MONITORING OF COVID-19 VACCINATION PROGRAM CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION. 146 Philippine Statistics Authority. (2021, June). 2020 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey. 147 Philippine Statistics Authority. (2021, June). 2020 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey.