MANILA, Philippines — Senators are pushing for a special session for the passage of a supplemental budget to ensure food security and address a possible public order and financial crisis amid the month-long quarantine imposed in Luzon.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said majority of the senators concurred with his suggestion of asking the executive department to request a special session from Congress to allow cash subsidy to those affected by the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.
“My concern was suddenly raised when an (economic) expert warned me of what might happen. Considering the difficulty of food preparation and distribution now happening,” Sotto told reporters in a message.
“I am told the people (might) run out of food by next week. Public order will suffer. We have to remove legal impediments for the use of available funds swiftly,” he added.
Sotto said he discussed his recommendation with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and a high-level economist.
“I suggest for Congress to pass a food subsidy budget in order to provide for the daily wage earners who lost their income,” he said in a separate statement.
While P500 per day per family would be the ideal subsidy, Sotto said P300 per family per day assistance would have to suffice considering the financial constraint that such an additional expenditure would cause the national treasury.
“Compute the NCR (National Capital Region) poor to be the beneficiaries. Compute the Calabarzon, the Central Luzon (Region 3) poor who will be affected. The rates may vary in the provinces that have access to fish, vegetables and other basic food supplies. In the NCR, the poor do not have access to these,” he said.
“Assuming there are three million poorest of the poor in NCR, with each family consisting of five members. That will be 15 million NCR residents who will be assured that their families will not go hungry while the (enhance community quarantine) is in place,” he said.
The proposed P300/family/day subsidy for 30 days in the country’s capital will amount to about P27 billion, he noted.
“The experts can extrapolate depending on the number of poor,” he said.
Sotto said the subsidy scheme could also be applied in other regions that are threatened with limited food supplies because of the “no work, no pay” policy being enforced by private companies.
While he agrees that home quarantine and social distancing are necessary at this time, Sotto said the government should make an exemption and take risks amid the worsening COVID-19 crisis.
“Lawmakers should bite the bitter pill in an emergency situation such as this. We need to get on our feet and make sure that our people, especially the poorest of the poor, do not worry about going hungry at a time when they should be focusing their attention on staying healthy,” he said.
He expressed confidence that Congress could hold a the special session with a skeletal work force.
“We do not need a full staff in a special session. As long as there are recorders and a limited number of people to operate recorders, I suppose that will be enough. We will work on only one issue to be submitted by the Palace,” he said.
He appealed to his colleagues in the Senate to “pull all suggestions and be prepared should the President decide to call for a special session.”
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go is also recommendin for a special session to be called to legislate a supplemental budget for the government’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
He sad he is pushing for a special session of Congress so that concerned agencies would have maximum flexibility to reallocate and utilize funds as needed to combat the spread of disease.
At present a stimulus package plus additional funding from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and contingency fund sources are readily available for the government to respond to the COVID-19 situation.
However, Go said the legislative branch could also step in and convene for the passage of a supplemental budget in order to ensure flexibility in the access of funds during this time.
“If the abovementioned sources prove insufficient, I will recommend to the President that he may call for a special session so that Congress can deliberate on the need to approve a supplemental budget,” Go said.
He said additional funds could be allocated for the delivery of more financial and food assistance to Filipinos, particularly the vulnerable sectors, daily wage earners and informal economy workers affected by the strict quarantine measures being imposed.
Sotto said he hopes that a special session can be called on Friday or on Saturday but said it would depend on the action of the Palace.
“No word until now,” he told reporters.
The President has placed the entire Luzon under an enhanced community quarantine as COVID-19 cases in the country continue to rise.
The said quarantine took effect on March 17 and will be in effect until April 13.
This measure means strict home quarantine will be implemented in all households; suspension of public transportation; regulation of the provision for food and essential services; and a heightened presence of uniformed personnel to enforce quarantine.
The Philippines is also under a state of calamity amid the outbreak.
There are so far 202 positive COVID-19 patients in the country, of which 17 patients have died while seven have recovered.