Funds yet to be realigned pending IATF-EID submission of budgetary requirements

MANILA, Philippines — The government has yet to reallocate or realign funds from the savings of the executive department to be used for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response efforts.

This was according to the report submitted by President Rodrigo Duterte to Congress on Tuesday in accordance with Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act which granted the President additional powers to address the coronavirus pandemic.

“As of 27 March 2020, the funds are yet to be reprogrammed, reallocated or realigned pending the submission of the  IATF-EID (Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases) of its final budgetary requirements, especially on the social amelioration measures,” the report states.

Section 4 (x) of Republic Act No. 11469 allows the president to “reprogram, reallocate, and realign from savings on other items of appropriations in the FY 2020 GAA in the Executive Department, as may be necessary and beneficial to fund measures that address and respond to the COVID-19 emergency, including social amelioration for affected communities and the recovery of areas, sectors, and industries severely affected.”

Likewise, the report states that as of March 27, no appropriated programs, projects or activities or P/A/P have been discontinued yet.

No Special Purpose Funds (SPFs) have also been utilized for COVID-19 measures except for the P500 million replenishment of the Department of Health’s Quick Response Fund, which is charged against the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Fund.

The number of COVID-19 cases in the country has reached 2,084 as of Tuesday afternoon, with the death toll climbing to 88.