Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, May 25, urged the government to realign unutilized funds under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 to augment the cash assistance to Filipinos to accommodate more beneficiaries still struggling with the effects of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Hontiveros noted that the Bayanihan 2 will expire in less than two months and many of the funds under the law are still unobligated.
The senator specifically pointed to the P10-billion budget allocated under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-CARES program for working capital loans to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) including the tourism sector.
Seventy percent, she noted, remained intact as MSMEs in the sector have not tapped the financial aid made available to them.
“These loan appropriations can be realigned to provide cash assistance instead,” Hontiveros said.
“Cash aid instead of loans...70 percent of the P10-billion funds for loans under DTI has remained untouched. That’s P7-billion worth of assistance that can benefit around 1.4 million Filipinos with 5,000 pesos each,” Hontiveros said.
The senator also insisted that cash assistance should be continuous as many Filipinos are still battling with the prolonged economic crisis, and many families have fallen back into poverty.
“The evidence speaks: the number of people suffering from hunger has doubled. Six out of 10 Filipino families are in debt just to have something on their plates. Hindi dapat tumitigil ang ayuda dahil hindi naman humuhupa ang paghihirap na dinaranas ng ating mga kababayan,(cash aid should not stop because our people’s woes have not eased),” Hontiveros stressed.
At the same time, the lawmaker renewed her call to institutionalize the state cash assistance programs through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.
She is also mulling filing a bill amending the Administrative Code so that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) can automatically adjust its budget appropriations for 4Ps beneficiaries based on growing or declining needs.
“Now more than ever, we need an institutionalized cash assistance scheme like 4Ps to provide unconditional cash transfers to poor families. This will make poor families stay afloat during crises and they can safely be on their way to recovery,” she reiterated.