House committee to consolidate ‘Bayanihan 3’ bills

MANILA, Philippines — The House economic affairs committee has begun discussions on two proposed versions of the “Bayanihan 3” law. Aklan Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr., committee chair, on Tuesday created a technical working group that will consolidate House Bills No. 8031 and 8059.

Both were filed last month in anticipation of the expiration of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 on Dec. 19.

House Bill No. 8031 (Bayanihan to Arise as One) filed by Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo pushes for P400 billion worth of pandemic response and stimulus packages.

On the other hand, House Bill No. 9059 (Bayanihan to Rebuild as One) filed by House majority leader Martin Romualdez, deputy speaker Sharon Garin and ways and means panel chair, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda seeks funding of P247 billion for similar initiatives.

Salceda said he did not see any “philosophical differences” between the two Bayanihan 3 bills, adding that it would be “easy to fold in the differences.”

“This is a bridge to the 2021 budget … We do not want to touch on the 2021 budget allocations for the health care and pandemic response. I think we can afford it,” he said.

The first Bayanihan law (Bayanihan to Heal as One Act), was signed by President Duterte in March and lapsed in June. Along with the second Bayanihan law that sought to allocate funding for the government’s pandemic response as well as recovery and stimulus packages for affected industries and sectors.

Because this year’s budget was passed before the pandemic, it did not include funding for combating COVID-19.