The Senate passed on third and final reading Senate Bill 1564 or the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act” (Bayanihan 2) a day after President Rodrigo Duterte called for its passing during his 5th State of the Nation Address.
22 senators voted to pass the bill with only one negative vote, that of Sen. Francis Pangilinan.
The final version includes amendments from Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.’s such as: provision of an emergency subsidy to affected low-income households in areas under enhanced community quarantine and those with returned Overseas Filipino Workers; provision of one-month emergency subsidy to left out yet qualified low-income households under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act; and provision of monthly special risk allowance to all public health workers for every month they have served during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sen. Sonny Angara, chair of the Senate finance committee and sponsor of the Bayanihan 2 bill, said the measure would extend the validity of the government’s response to the Covid-19 under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which had already lapsed in June.
Bayanihan 2 provides a total of P10 billion for the procurement of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and extraction kits.
The fund will also be used for the purchase of corresponding medical supplies, including enhancement of capacities in Department of Health (DOH) programs involving elimination and control of other diseases.
The Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) cash-for-work program and the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) will receive P15 billion in funding under the bill.
A total of P17 billion will be provided for unemployment or involuntary separation assistance to displaced workers, which include probationary, project, seasonal, contractual and casual employees in private health institutions, tourism, culture and arts, creative industries, construction, public transportation, trade industries, and other sectors of the economy as may be identified by the Labor Department.
Revilla said his affirmative vote was based on the “dire need of more government assistance” of Filipinos given the country’s circumstances and limited resources during the pandemic.
“Alam at dama natin ang kanilang pangangailangan, at matutugunan ng panukalang ito ang mga iyon,” Revilla said.
Pangilinan, who voted against the measure, cited the alleged corruption in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) and the government’s failure in achieving the 30,000 daily coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) tests set last May 30 as some of his bases of his vote.
According to Pangilinan, the difference in Covid-19 cases between Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines are “glaring and disappointing.”
As of July 28, the Philippines has a total of 83,673 COVID-19 cases in which 55,109 are active cases, 26,617 recoveries, and 1,947 deaths.
“We have failed to stop the spread of the disease and have been unable to meet our own imposed targets and deadlines for mass testing, contact tracing, and isolation,” Pangilinan said.
Last April, the Senate called for the resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III for what the senators alleged as his failure in leadership, incompetence, and links to corruption.
“Unless Secretary Duque is fired or is forced to step down as Chairperson of the IATF, the country will only see more incompetence and more corruption issues hounding the government’s efforts in addressing the pandemic,” Pangilinan said. Isabel Macaraeg