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Fully implement Bayanihan 2 before another COVID-response law is passed -- Angara
Fully implement Bayanihan 2 before another COVID-response law is passed -- Angara
Senator Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara on Saturday said government agencies should fully implement existing laws for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response before a new Bayanihan law is passed.
Angara maintained that a "better, faster" stimulus to the pandemic-hit economy is to immediately disburse the appropriations and carry out the recovery programs for the affected sectors.
"'Yong Bayanihan 2 nga hindi pa fully implemented, so siguro dapat mas maganda fully implement muna nila lahat ng batas na pinasa natin (The Bayanihan 2 is still not fully implemented, so maybe they should fully implement all the laws that we have passed in Congress)," the chairman of the Senate finance committee said over radio DWIZ when asked about the proposed Bayanihan 3 being pushed in the House of Representatives.
Angara particularly noted that the Bayanihan 2, or the "Bayanihan to Recover as One Act", contained several provisions aimed at helping businesses.
The Republic Act No. 11494 appropriated P165.5 billion to aid the country's pandemic response and recovery efforts.
Last December 29, President Duterte signed the law allowing the extension of the availability of the funds until June 30 this year.Â
Under the law, P39.4 billion was allocated for government financial institutions to fund low-interest loans to industries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Maganda, mas mabilis, kaysa sa gumawa tayo ng batas, ilabas na muna 'yong mga pondo sa ilalim ng mga batas na ipinasa na natin (It will be better, faster, that instead of Congress crafting a law, release first the funds under the law that we passed)," Angara said.
Earlier, the senators said that while he thinks that having a Bayanihan 3 was a "good idea", "you might have these overlapping programs".
"Really, we want to see a speedy implementation, complete implementation of Bayanihan 2, and a speedy release of projects and programs under the 2020 budget which was also extended," he said in a separate interview over ABS-CBN News Channel on Friday,Â
"It's very important that we act fast with the porgrams existing," he added.
Members of the House of Representatives have started discussing the proposed "Bayanihan to Arise As One Act" filed by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Marikina Representative Stella Luz Quimbo.
The bill calls for a P420-billion stimulus package to augment the government's resources for addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
These include allocations for social amelioration to impacted households; capacity-building for impacted sectors; wage subsidies; internet allowances to teachers and students; assistance to displaced workers; rehabilitation of typhoon-affected areas; and additional funds for COVID-19 treatment and vaccines.
Velasco said over 220 congressmen supported the passage of the bill.
Some senators, on the other hand, appeared cold to passing a Bayanihan 3.
In an interview in January, Senate President Vicente Sotto said he "do think there is necessity for Bayanihan 3", also citing the extension of the Bayanihan 2's validity.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said that the executive department "appreciates" the initiative of congressmen but maintained that the government has "enough fiscal stimulus in our budget and we are implementing Bayanihan 2."