House panel OKs Bayanihan 2 extension

MANILA, Philippines — The House appropriations committee on Friday approved a consolidated bill extending the validity of COVID-19 appropriations under the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act (Bayanihan 2) to June 30, 2021.

In an online meeting, lawmakers agreed on a substitute measure consolidating five measures, which all seek to extend the validity of funding under Bayanihan 2 to address the pandemic.

The substitute measure, however, will not extend the power of President Rodrigo Duterte to realign items in the national budget.

The President’s power to reallocate items in this year’s budget to fund pandemic response measures will still expire on Dec. 19, or upon the expiration of Republic Act No. 11494, or the Bayanihan 2 law.

With the committee’s approval of the extension of Bayanihan 2, the bill will be submitted to the entire House for further debates and approval on the second and third reading.

It consolidates House Bill Nos. 7957, 7979, 8014, 8063, and 8099 filed by Representatives Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado, Joy Myra Tambunting, Ramon Guico III, Luisa Lloren Cuaresma, Joseph Lara, Paolo Duterte, Sharon Garin, Weslie Gatchalian, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, and House appropriations committee chair Eric Go Yap.

The substitute bill is expected to be tackled during the House’s plenary session on Monday. The lower chamber has until the end of next week to approve the bill before it goes on break.

During the online hearing, Assistant Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo said P102 billion of the P165 billion appropriation under Bayanihan 2 had already been released.