House leaders back Bayanihan 2

THE Bayanihan to Recover As One (Bayanihan 2) bills drew support from various political parties at the House of Representatives after it hurdled second reading on Wednesday night.

House Bill 6953 proposes a P162- billion stimulus package to support the government’s fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. This amount is higher than the P140 billion provided in the Senate version approved on third and final reading on July 28.

Leaders of political parties, in a manifesto released on Thursday, reaffirmed support and commitment for the swift passage of the bill. Those who signed the manifesto included Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, and Deputy Speakers Luis Raymund Villafuerte of Camarines Sur and Paolo Duterte of Davao City.

“Heeding the President's (Rodrigo Duterte) call, we now declare our commitment to unify our respective political parties and party-list organizations in order for the House of Representatives to pass the Bayanihan 2 bill at the soonest time possible,” the manifesto read.

The House version of Bayanihan 2 seeks to address health concerns by providing P10 billion for the National Health Insurance Program covering expanded testing and Covid- 19 confinements; P10.5 billion for the Department of Health’s hiring of additional health care workers and arrangements for risk allowance, life insurance, compensation, and compensation for death and critical illness; P3 billion for the procurement of personal protective equipment for frontliners and indigents; and P4 billion for the construction of quarantine and isolation facilities.

The bill also provides P12 billion for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s programs such as the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, emergency subsidies for areas on hard lockdown, sustainable livelihood programs and supplemental feeding. Like the first Bayanihan law, the measure also provides P5,000 to P8,000 subsidy to low-income families, but only in areas under the enhanced community quarantine.

The bill aims to support economic recovery by providing P20 billion for the implementation of the cash-for-work programs, P51 billion for the infusion of new capital for government financial institutions, P20 billion for direct cash or loan interest rate subsidies for the agriculture sector, P10 billion for the transport sector, P10 billion for tourism development programs and P100 million for training tourist guides.

For education, the bill allocates P3 billion for smart, information and communications technology-ready education facilities in state universities and colleges; P4 billion for the Department of Education’ digital and alternative modes of learning; P600 million for subsidies for qualified students in private tertiary education institutions; P300 million for subsidies for personnel of private tertiary education institutions and part-time personnel of state universities and colleges; and P1 billion for additional scholarship funds for Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

The measure also provides P1.5 billion for assistance for local government units, P820 million for the Department of Foreign Affairs’ programs for displaced migrant workers, and P180 million to finance allowance of National Athletes and Coaches.

Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc, however, said the P162-billion allocation for Covid-19 response was insufficient.

Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas said P12 billion was not enough to fund free mass testing. She added that additional funding was also needed for emergency subsidy for low income families with 5 million household that have yet to receive assistance.

Meanwhile, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said she wanted to propose additional funding for teachers and schools.