P240 B proposed for COVID-19 response in 2022 budget

MANILA, Philippines — The government has allocated over P240 billion for its COVID-19 response in its proposed P5-trillion national budget for 2022, Malacañang said Thursday.

“Umpisahan po natin ang ating briefing sa funding requirements para sa COVID-19 response efforts sa taong 2022. Ang sumatutal po ay P240,747,386,000,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing.

(Let’s start the briefing by discussing the funding requirements for our COVID-19 response in 2022. The total is P240,747,386,000.)

The biggest share of the figure will go to the Department of Education with P99 billion to fund its flexible learning options, textbooks and other instructional materials, computerization program among others amid the implementation of blended learning, said Roque.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health will get P93 billion for its health facilities, prevention and control of communicable diseases, procurement of supplies, health workers’ emergency hiring, among others.

Roque said P11 billion will go to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration for the repatriation of overseas Filipino workers and P52 million will be allocated for assistance once they return to the country.

Further, P11.5 billion was earmarked for the Department of Social Welfare and Development programs and P1 billion was allocated for the Department of Science and Technology research and development on COVID-19 initiatives, added Roque.

The Department of Trade and Industry will likewise get P1 billion while the University of the Philippines will get P140 million for its Philippine Genomic Information and Resource Hub.

“Ito po ay preliminary at nakasaad sa national expenditure plan. Ito po’y pwedeng baguhin syempre ng Congress, pwedeng dagdagan, pwedeng bawasan,” Roque said.

(This is just preliminary and is under the National Expenditure Plan.This can be changed by Congress, they can increase or decrease the allocated funds.)

The proposed national budget for 2022 worth P5.024 trillion, said to be the highest ever in the country’s history, is eyed to be submitted to Congress on Monday, Aug. 23.

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