As the second regular session of 18th Congress opens on Monday, the House of Representatives will push for a P250 billion to P500 billion financial war chest against COVID-19, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said on Sunday, July 26.
(ALAN PETER CAYETANO FACEBOOK / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
He said apart from the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or the Bayanihan 2, and the stimulus packages that have yet to be funded, they will prioritize the immediate passage of the 2020 national budget, which will include funding allocation for the anti-COVID programs and purchase of vaccine should it become available.
The Taguig City-Pateros representative said the whole month of August will be solely devoted to budget deliberations.
“Dyan po talaga mapupunta ang energy namin (Our energy will be expended there) kasi napakahirap gumawa ng budget na may certainty (it is very difficult to make a budget when there is certainty) pero ngayon gagawa ka ng budget na may uncertainty (but now you will a make budget when there is uncertainty), that is why ang itutulak ng Kongreso na magkaroon (the Congress will push to have) P250-500 billion na anti-COVID, o (or) COVID-related program na pondo (funds) para kung magka-lock down sa isang area (so that if there’s lockdown in one areas) hind na maghahanap para sa social amelioration. (we will not scout funds for social amelioration), pag nagkaron ng bakuna o cure meron nang pera (once the vaccine or cure becomes available, we will have money),” Cayetano said in an interview over DZBB.
He said they will ensure that the 2021 spending program can respond not only to people’s expected needs, but also to the demands of the uncertainties, including national health crisis situations like COVID pandemic.
“Dapat ang pera ready dun sa ineexpect natin pero pati dun sa unexpected kaya talagang magsusunog ng kilay at talagang mag-brainstorm nang husto ang mga senador at miyembro ng Kongreso at Gabinete kung ano mga unexpected na pwedeng mangyari next year para handa tayo lahat,” he said.
"The budget should be readily available for those which we are expecting, but also for those we are not expecting, that is why we will carefully study and the senators , the members of Congress, and the Cabinet, will exhaustively brainstorm to determine which of those unexpected might happen next year so that we will all be ready,” Cayetano said.
He said apart from the "life and livelihood” aspect of the 2021 national budget, Congress has to ensure that funds are readily available for the "normal operation” of the government.
He said the Commission on Elections' funds for the 2022 presidential and vice presidential elections should also be readied.
"Dahil may election tayo sa 2022 (we have an election in 2022), so s'yempre 'yung budget nila ilalagay next year (so their budget will be included next year), at hindi ko alam anong plano nila sa automated voting (I don’t know their plan on automated voting),” he said.
Cayetano also assured that as the second regular session opens this Monday, Congress will prioritize the passage of the Bayanihan 2, which is expected to financially assist the businesses and sectors adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and further boost the government’s testing and contract tracing capacity.
“More or less may kasunduan na (there is an agreement), konti na lang po ang detalye d’yan (only small details have yet to be ironed out). Nag-uusap po ang Senate at House counterpart at okay ang DOF (Department of Finance) d’yan (The Senate and House counterparts are meeting and the DOF is okay with that),” he said.
Cayetano said they will ensure that House Bill (HB) No. 6815 or the P1.3 trillion Accelerated Recovery and Investments Stimulus for the Economy of the Philippines (ARISE Philippines Act), and HB No. 6709 or the COVID-19 Unemployment Reduction Economic Stimulus (CURES) Act of 2020, which were already passed on third and final reading by the Lower Chamber will be funded to ensure the nation’s recovery.