Quimbo: P1,000 cash assistance under proposed Bayanihan 3 can be waived

MANILA, Philippines — Individuals may choose to waive the P1,000 cash assistance under the proposed Bayanihan to Arise As One Act or Bayanihan 3, Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo said Monday.

Quimbo made the remark after the joint House committees on economic affairs and social services approved a P405.6-billion Bayanihan 3, which includes two rounds of cash aid amounting to P1,000 per Filipino, regardless of social status.

The lawmaker is one of the authors of the proposed Bayanihan 3 measure in the House of Representatives.

“Meron ding provision sa ating bill that would allow individuals to waive assistance. So ibig sabihin, kung taga Forbes Park ka naman diba, alam mo naman na ‘naku, baka pwede ko naman i-waive yan’, pwede naman,” Quimbo, referring to a private subdivision in Makati City, said in an interview with reporters.

(There is a provision in the bill that would allow individuals to waive assistance. For instance, you are from Forbes Park and you think you can waive your share, you can.)

“Hindi ka compelled to avail of this P1,000 per head [cash assistance],” she added.

(You are not compelled to avail of this P1,000 per head cash assistance.)

When asked if there was any assurance that the waived financial assistance will go to those who need it, Quimbo said: “Actually, parang leap of faith na lang… That’s really going to be the approach here. Inaasahan na lang natin na yung pinaka-nangangailangan ang siyang maga-avail nitong P1,000.”

(Leap of faith… That’s really going to be the approach here. We expect that those who really need it will be the ones to avail of this P1,000.)

Quimbo explained that the proposal to include all Filipinos in the cash assistance was to avoid a repeat of beneficiaries’ names not being included in the list of recipients.

“But the purpose really is ayaw na natin maulit ung nangyari under the SAP (social amelioration program) na ang number 1 na naging problema, is people would say kailangan ko, pero wala sila sa listahan,” Quimbo said.

(The purpose really is we do not want to repeat what happened in SAP before that the number 1 issue was that people would say they need it but they are not on the list.)

“So that’s really the purpose, ayaw natin na may maiwan and alam naman natin na talagang the pandemic affected everyone,” she added.

(That’s really the purpose, we do not want anyone to be left behind because we know the pandemic affected everyone.)

Quimbo said the cash aid would be given to 108 million Filipinos regardless of social status. This will be given in two tranches, making the total financial aid given to all Filipinos at P216 billion.

“Tranche one is a total of P108 million, then after three months, the second tranche so another P108 million,” Quimbo said.

The House committee on ways on means approved Monday the tax provisions of the measure.

The measure, however, still needs to go through the House committee on appropriations before its committee report can be approved and sent to the plenary for further debates.

Quimbo said the bill could be up for plenary debates when the House resumes session on May 17.

JE