Duterte report to Congress: Nearly P78B released from Bayanihan 2 funds
MANILA, Philippines — The government has so far released nearly P78 billion to various agencies for their COVID-19 pandemic response under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2).
According to President Rodrigo Duterte’s second weekly report to Congress, P76.22 billion of the released budget came from the fund allocated by the law, while some P1.75 billion are charged from the 2020 budget allocations of the respective government agencies.
The following agencies received funds under the Bayanihan 2 as of October 29:
- Department of the Interior and Local Government (P2,522,660,000)
- Office of Civil Defense (P855,190,418)
- Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) – Local Government Units (P451,454,250)
- Department of Foreign Affairs (P820 million)
- Professional Regulation Commission (P2.5 million)
- Department of Social Welfare and Development (P6 billion)
- Department of Transportation (P9.5 billion)
- Bureau of Treasury – Development Bank of the Philippines (P1 billion)
- Bureau of Treasury – Land Bank of the Philippines (P1 billion)
- Bureau of Treasury – Small Business Corporations (P8,080,098,000)
- Philippine Sports Commission (P180 million)
- Department of Labor and Employment (P13.1 billion)
- Department of Health (P20,574,952,000)
- Department of Trade and Industry (P100 million)
Meanwhile, the P1.75 billion released under Sec. 4(rr) of the Bayanihan 2 is broken down as follows:
- P994,745,247 for the Department of Public Works and Highways
- P28,371,099 for the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
- P730,047,199 for DOH
Duterte signed the Bayanihan 2 law last September 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.
The President recently gave Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado the authority to approve the release of Bayanihan 2 funds to ensure its speedy release.
This is after some lawmakers called out the Budget Department for the slow release of the P165.5-billion Bayanihan 2 funds.
KGA
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