‘Napakakuripot ng budget:’ Marcos says some funds under Bayanihan 2 slashed

MANILA, Philippines — Some of the funds intended to assist sectors struggling because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic have been slashed to smaller amounts under the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or the Bayanihan 2 bill, Senator Imee Marcos disclosed on Wednesday.

“Napakakuripot nitong budget na to. Hirap na hirap kami. There’s too little to fight over because it’s simply impossible to accommodate everyone’s request,” Marcos said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel.

Marcos is part of the bicameral conference committee currently reconciling the disagreeing provisions of the measure’s Senate and House version.

The Bayanihan 2 bill lays out the country’s COVID-19 response and recovery plan and allocates funds to help struggling sectors cope up with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lawmakers agreed on P162-billion funding. However, only P140 billion will be readily available.

“It’s a very small fund, P140 billion, of which P50 billion goes directly to the banks so already there’s one-third logged off and very, very little left to give away to the tourism sector, transportation groups, of course, our health workers, which the President has promised P15,000 per head, our students, most of our OFWs (overseas Filipino workers),” Marcos went on.

“Ang haba po ng listahan. Sinabi nila na kapag maikli ang kumot, bumaluktot. Kapag wala ng kumot, mag-tumbling na po,” she added.

According to Marcos, the P15 billion initially earmarked for the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) cash-for-work program and the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) under the Senate version was cut down to P5 billion.

“Napakapayat, naghahanap pa rin kami. Lahat nagdadaing na. There are horrific projections for OFWs, hundreds of thousands are coming back jobless,” she said.

Meanwhile, the P17 billion allocated to the Department of Transportation for the provision of interest rate subsidies and the provision of temporary livelihood to displaced workers was slashed to P6 billion, the senator added.

“I understand where our finance people are coming from, they’re trying to impose prudent fiscal management, but on the other hand talagang ang hirap pagkasyahin,” Marcos said.

To provide for more funding to accommodate more sectors, the lawmaker proposed that the government divert its fundings initially allocated for the travel expenses of officials to help those affected by the pandemic.

“We can get from the 2020 budget. I don’t think anyone would travel so all the travel expense…all these things, ibibigay na natin sa tao,” she said.

/MUF