Despite House push, time not on the side of Bayanihan 3

MANILA, Philippines — The Bayanihan 3 bill, the latest “lifeline” stimulus package designed to address the economic and social impact of the pandemic, is now a step closer to its third and final approval at the House of Representatives.

The Lower House late Tuesday night passed on second reading through viva voce voting the P401-billion relief package, which was lower than the original P405.6-billion proposal and altered to prioritize the giving of two cash aids of P1,000 each to every Filipino.

An “additional ayuda (assistance) according to need” has also been included in the consolidated and amended Bayanihan to Arise as One bill (House Bill No. 9411), according to House deputy minority leader and Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo.

However, since it was not certified as urgent by Malacañang, the bill would face final reading three session days after it was approved on second reading.

At the same time, the House has yet to secure a certificate of fund availability from the Bureau of the Treasury, a constitutional requirement for special appropriations such as that for Bayanihan 3. Worse, its counterpart measure in the Senate has not moved forward even with the June 5 adjournment of Congress just a week away.

Warning

Earlier this week, House deputy speaker and Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, a coauthor of the bill, expressed his reservations on the funding sources for the Bayanihan 3. He warned that since the executive branch has not made concrete commitments on where the money would come from, the bill could end up as “one of the many unfunded bills that Congress has passed.”

A copy of the amended Bayanihan 3 sent to the Inquirer showed lower amounts allotted for the first phase of the assistance package to P165.9 billion from P167 billion as well as for the second phase to P186 billion from P196 billion. Funding for the final segment, however, went up to P48.6 billion from the original P42.6 billion.

Cash assistance

Unchanged from the original bill were the P2,000 financial assistance to each Filipino, or a total of P216 billion; emergency aid to affected households, P30 billion; wage subsidies to workers, P20 billion; assistance to displaced or disadvantaged workers, P25 billion; support for the agri-fishery sector, P30 billion; medical assistance to indigents, P30 billion, and pension and gratuity fund for retired military and uniformed personnel, P4.6 billion. Wage subsidies for qualified workers in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) were set at P5,000 to P 8,000.

Allocations were cut for national nutrition to P6 billion from P10 billion; local government unit (LGU) support fund, to P3 billion from P5 billion, and assistance for basic education, to P4 billion from P.6 billion.

However, the amended bill raised spending for swab testing of returning seafarers and overseas Filipino workers to P500 million from P400 million.

New interventions in the revised Bayanihan 3 included P2 billion for cooperative development and P500 million to support higher education.

Loan restructuring

The amended bill also has a new provision to encourage the restructuring of loans and prod banks and other financial institutions to suspend the imposition of penalties, foreclosure, or declaration in default regarding current and outstanding loans.

Deleted was the item for housing relief such as the suspension of amortization payments from families in government socialized housing, and the postponement of demolition and eviction activities during the state of public health emergency.

Direct purchase

The amended bill also sought to authorize LGUs and private entities to directly procure vaccines from government-accredited suppliers as a strategy to achieve COVID-19 herd immunity.

Republic Act No. 11595 or the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act allows LGUs and private entities to buy vaccines only through a multiparty agreement with the Department of Health and foreign pharmaceutical companies.

The bill also expanded the medical personnel allowed to administer COVID-19 vaccines to include duly licensed dentists and medical technologist. A special risk allowance, on top of the hazard pay, would also be given to public and private health workers during the state of national health emergency.

The amended bill deleted a provision that would have allowed local chief executives to realign their local funds, unused or unreleased subsidies and transfers.