No delay in release of Bayanihan 2 funds — DBM

MANILA, Philippines — There’s no “bottlenecks” or delay in the release of funds under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2), Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said Thursday, as the bulk of crucial funds remain unreleased for over a month since President Rodrigo Duterte signed the urgent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) stimulus plan into law.

According to Avisado, only over P4 billion, a measly portion of the P165.5-billion Bayanihan 2 funds, was released so far by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

But the Budget chief noted that around P46.2 billion worth of funds are currently awaiting the approval of the President before they can be released to agencies for the pandemic response while another P24 billion are currently “in-process” at the DBM.

He explained that agencies with allotments under the law still need to submit budget requests and outline specific items where they plan to spend the money. The requests will be then evaluated by the DBM before being submitted to Duterte’s office for approval.

“Wala pong bottlenecks, proseso lang po ang sinusunod natin. Kapag kumpleto po lahat ng dokumento, inaakyat po natin agad iyan sa Office of the President for the corresponding approval,” Avisado said in a televised Palace press briefing.

“Kapag sinabi pong bottleneck may problema na delaying, wala naman po. Hindi naman po sabay-sabay silang nagsa-submit ng requirements. So as they come, we evaluate and we elevate to the Office of the President, who has the final say,” he added.

Asked what is taking the Office of the President so long to approve the requests, Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque said the Office of the Executive Secretary is only making sure that the “funds are indeed needed, that it will go to its intended beneficiaries.”

Some senators earlier called out the DBM for the late release of most of the multi-billion funds intended to aid pandemic-hit sectors under the Bayanihan 2 law, which is set to expire by the end of the year.

READ: Senators hit DBM for non-release of most Bayanihan 2 funds

Duterte signed the Bayanihan 2 law last Sept. 11. Of the law’s total budget, P140 billion will be taken from regular appropriations, while the remaining P25.5 billion, will come from standby funds.

/MUF