Duterte signs Bayanihan 2 into law

President Rodrigo Duterte signs into law the Bayanihan to Recover As One or Bayanihan 2. Photo from Sen. Bong Go

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday signed the Bayanihan to Recover As One or Bayanihan 2, which seeks to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We confirm that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed into law the Bayanihan II or the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.

“We consider the Bayanihan II crucial in our efforts to gradually re-open the economy, support businesses and revitalize growth as we make our country resilient to COVID-19 by strengthening our health sector, particularly our healthcare capacity and pandemic response,” he added.

The Palace official also thanked Congress for swiftly passing the “important” legislation.

It was last month when the both chambers of Congress ratified the bill.

Bayanihan 2 provides for a stimulus package of P140 billion in regular appropriation and P25 billion as standby funding.

The biggest share of the budget will go to loans for sectors hit by the pandemic like micro, small and medium-scale enterprises, transport, tourism and agriculture.

It also allocates allowances to students in both private and public elementary schools, high schools, and colleges whose families were affected by work stoppage due to lockdowns.

Further, Bayanihan 2 provides for the government’s health-related responses like including the retroactive payment of the P100,000 hazard duty pay for health workers; employment of existing emergency health workers; risk allowance of public and private health workers attending to COVID-19 patients, among others.

JPV