The Proper Place for Unused Bayanihan II Funds

The P18.4-billion unutilized assets under Bayanihan 2 will in all probability be gotten back to the public depository following President Duterte’s inability to require an extraordinary meeting of Congress for motivations behind stretching out the assets to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cutoff time is as of now on June 30 since they need time to hold an exceptional meeting. The House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez told columnists in a meeting recently that there ought to be an assertion or confirmation of its desperation.

Along these lines, they have not had that yet. They actually even need to get the simultaneousness of their partners in the Senate. That truly is by all accounts a test, among numerous different things. Along with this, Bayanihan 2 was in the plan during their visit to Malacañang, yet they couldn’t take that up. There has been no clearness pushing ahead. It’s looking very close. The probability of augmentation is getting dimmer now.

The House passed the action expanding Bayanihan 2 presently House Bill 9538 on second perusing before Congress went on break last June 4. It proposes to revise Republic Act 11519, which initially broadened the accessibility of Bayanihan 2 assets until June 30 this year. Congress will continue meeting on July 26, when President Duterte conveys his 6th and last State of the Nation Address.

Endeavors to broaden again the existence of Bayanihan 2 until Dec. 31 this year might be put to nothing. It was first reached out from June 30, 2020 until December 2020, and later from December 2020 until June 30 this year.

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, director of the House of Representatives’ available resources board of trustees, depicted it’s anything but a “desperate choice” as he pushed for the holding of an exceptional meeting to broaden once again the law, at any rate until yearend. This is a desperate choice for some territories. We can’t manage the cost of a month without contact following or with decreased wellbeing limit.

As indicated by him, the COVID-19 cases that are currently on the ascent in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao may flood over again and that assets allotted for wellbeing laborers and contact tracers, among others, might be delivered inutile. Morever, Salceda bemoaned that with the approaching termination, subsidizing for the agreements of contact tracers and other HR for wellbeing under the bundle will likewise pass.