Legislating a new "Bayanihan" measure won't end the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the Philippines, senators said on Wednesday, April 7.

Senator Joel Villanueva said that while he is open to discussing the proposed Bayanihan 3 in the Senate, he said it is more imperative that the executive department properly and effectively implement laws against the COVID-19 crisis.

Calls to pass a Bayanihan 3 law mounted in the wake of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) imposed by the government in Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan and Laguna to control the sudden surge of COVID-19 cases.

Senate Minority Franklin Drilon also suggested on Monday a special session to tackle the Bayanihan 3 to aid workers and businesses that are again displaced by the lockdown measures.

Congress is currently on break and will resume sessions in May.

"Legislation is not the main solution. Executive action is. The main cures to COVID and its deadly effect on lives and livelihood are not waiting to be legislated, but to be implemented," Villanueva said in a statement.

"Case in point is the new COVID 19 Vaccination Law, a great law in need of good implementation," he noted.

The chairman of the Senate labor committee added that the government is also slow to spend funds appropriated in the last Bayanihan law.

Citing a report by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to the Senate as of February, Villanueva said that of the P165.5 billion set aside under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, or Bayanihan 2, P77.5 billion was obligated by agencies.

And of the P77.5 billion, he said only P38 billion has actually been disbursed.

President Duterte has extended the validity of the funds in Bayanihan 2 from December 19, 2020 to June 30, 2021.

"What we need are not new Republic Acts, but for the people in government to get their act together," Villanueva pointed out. "But if there are gaps that would require congressional action and approval, then let us do it."

Senator Nancy Binay, meanwhile, lamented how the passage of COVID-19 measures has become a "vicious cycle".

"Nagiging vicious cycle na lang lagi ang ganitong scenario ng ECQ, MECQ, GCQ every time there’s pressure coming from the business and financial sectors. At kapag nag-spike na naman ang mga kaso, back to Step One (It has become a vicious cycle that every time that we have an ECQ, MECQ, GCQ, there's pressure coming from the business and financial sectors. And when cases spike, we are always back to Step One)," she said in a text message.

"One year na (It's been one year), but we haven’t seen any clear cut new normal protocols integrated into policy decisions and public health systems. Hanggang walang strategy (As long as we do not have a strategy) that is backed by science in opening the economy, paulit ulit ang magiging problema natin sa pagharap sa COVID-19 (the same problems will crop up while we face the COVID-19)," she reiterated.

For Senator Panfilo Lacson, the country's "best option" is to immediately allow and give the private sector a "better" flexibility in the vaccination program.

Lacson said the government's "whole-of-nation approach" theme in its COVID-19 response "is turning out to be mere platitude and lip service."