Sen. Risa Hontiveros deplores that the slow pace could mean that Bayanihan 2 would meet its deadline without being used. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines—Senator Risa Hontiveros urged the national government to pick up the pace in the disbursement of Bayanihan to Recover as One Act 2 (Bayanihan 2) before it lapses at the end of June.
Bayanihan 2 was supposed to expire on Dec. 19, 2020 but that deadline was extended to June 30, 2021 to accommodate the government’s spending.
Hontiveros argued that the slow pace could mean that Bayanihan 2 would meet its deadline without being used.
“Pera na magiging bato pa. Ilang araw na lang, mag-e-expire na ulit ang pondo, pero sa sobrang bagal ng paggasta, dalawang beses nang nabigyan ng chance. Habang nakatengga yan, parami nang parami ang nangangailangan sa ilalim ng krisis. Kailan pa natin balak gamitin ang perang yan?” said Hontiveros in a statement.
(We already have the money but that could be gone in an instant. We only have few days before those funds expire but with the slow pace of spending it’s already been given two chances. While that’s just sitting around, more and more people are getting desperate in a time of crisis. When are we planning to use that money?)
The opposition senator said that the Department of Health has only used 47.5 percent of its P12.5 allocation under Bayanihan 2 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most of what the DOH used went to laboratory testing and the hiring of health personnel.
According to the Department of Budget and Management, the country has spent P495,060,547,684 for the pandemic under Bayanihan 1 and 2. Most of those are spent on medical supplies, services, and financial aid.
That amount, Hontiveros argued, was just 75.76% of the whole budget and Bayanihan 2 alone has P127,155,172,328 in unspent funds.
“Kulang na kulang na nga ang Bayanihan 2, hahayaan pang mag-lapse? Bilis-bilisan dapat ang implementation ng mga programa. Kung maaari, bawasan na rin ang napakahabang listahan ng requirements para agarang maibigay ang ayuda,” said Hontiveros.
(Bayanihan 2 is not enough, then we will just let it pass? Program implementation should be faster and, if needed, lessen the ridiculous requirements needed to give immediate aid.)
Hontiveros thus urged the DBM to release the missing reports on Bayanihan 2 to evaluate before the budget deliberations for 2022.
“Bago man lang sana pag-usapan ang 2022 budget, sagutin muna nila kung saan na napunta ang Bayanihan 2. January 2021 pa ang huling report na nai-file ng Malakanyang sa Bayanihan 2. Nasaan na ang iba pang weekly reports para sa transparency at accountability?” said Hontiveros.
(Before we talk about the 2022 budget, we should find out where Bayanihan 2 went. Malacañang last reported about Bayanihan 2 in January 2021. So, where are the other weekly reports that can be used for transparency and accountability?)