Sen. Go sees need for a 'Bayanihan 3'
Given the ongoing pandemic and the emergence of new variants of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in other countries, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Tuesday said that lawmakers and finance managers are studying the possibility of another measure to strengthen the country’s response and recovery efforts.
After the passage of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act and the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act this year, Go said that there might be a need for a “Bayanihan 3” to further assist vulnerable sectors, including those who have lost their jobs as well as previously locally stranded individuals (LSIs) who have returned to their provinces and are seeking economic opportunities.
“Kung may pera po, possible ‘yan (Bayanihan 3). Kakausapin ko si (Finance) Secretary (Carlos) Dominguez... kung talagang hirap tayo ngayong darating na taon, (titignan) kung mayro'n pong posibilidad... kakausapin ko pa po na sana po'y magkaroon tayo ng Bayanihan 3, Go said during a radio interview. (If there is money, that is possible (Bayanihan 3). I will talk to Finance Secretary (Carlos) Dominguez…if there is a need for it in the coming year, (We’ll see) if there is the possibility…I will talk to him and I hope we could have the Bayanihan 3.)
Go, chairman of the Senate health and demography committee, said that he would discuss with President Duterte the possibility of proposing the Bayanihan 3 measure.
“Kung saka-sakali, kakausapin ko rin po si Pangulo, kung mayro'n naman silang pagkukunan, siguro sa mga susunod na buwan ay maaaring pag-aaralan po na magkaroon tayo ng Bayanihan 3,’’ he said. (I will also talk to the President, if they have the source. Maybe in the coming months, we will study the possibility of having the Bayanihan 3.)
The senator from Davao said that almost all locally stranded individuals had been transported back to their provinces.
Go recounted the recent plight of LSIs who were stranded in Metro Manila at the height of the strict implementation of the community quarantine, saying, “Alam n’yo po, mahirap ma-stranded dito sa Maynila, wala silang mga kamag-anak dito at kawawa, (You know, it’s hard to be stranded here in Manila, they do not have relatives here.)
Go also emphasized the importance of managing the pandemic well through the cooperation of the public to alleviate the burden on the healthcare system.
He said that the need for stricter quarantine measures might be unnecessary if authorities are able to properly implement health protocols in communities.