Gov’t mulls aid for persons on 14-day COVID-19 quarantine

This general view a hall converted into a 500-bed capacity COVID-19 coronavirus quarantine facility at the World Trade Center in Manila on April 23, 2020, one of the facilities to house mild cases of the disease. – The facility will be managed by military medical personnel. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — The government is looking to extend assistance to individuals required to undergo 14-day quarantine amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the government is considering a last-minute amendment in the proposed “We Recover as One Law” or the Bayanihan 2 to insert the aid package for those required to be under quarantine.

“Meron na pong proposal na lahat ng magqu-quarantine ng 14 days ay mabibigyan ng ayuda. Ito po ay proposal. Ito po ay isusulong sa Kongreso na nag-uusap pa tungkol sa Bayanihan 2,” Roque said in a press briefing at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.

(There is a proposal that everyone who will be on 14-day quarantine will receive government assistance.  We will bring this up before Congress which is still deliberating on the Bayanihan 2 bill.)

It was not immediately made clear, however, what kind of assistance the government intends to provide or how much budget will be set aside for the proposal.

“Bagamat tapos na ‘yung sa Senado pwede pang ihabol dito sa Mababang Kapulungan at natext na po natin si Speaker (Alan Peter Cayetano),” he added.

(Although the Senate has already competed its deliberations, the proposal can still be tackled by the Lower House and we have already informed Speaker Cayetano.)

The Senate on Tuesday approved on third and final reading the Bayanihan 2 bill. 

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