SEN. Francis Pangilinan said the slow release of the remaining P70-billion Bayanihan funds will not only delay aid to individuals and sectors hit hard by the pandemic but also retard economic recovery.
Pangilinan was reacting to the report of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) that it has so far released only P92.3 billion of the P165.5-billion stimulus fund under the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act or Bayanihan 2.
“This is unfortunate because while the funds are available, they could not immediately be felt by the people reeling from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said on Sunday.
“The urgency of the need of the Filipinos does not seem to match the sluggish movement of the government,” he said in a statement.
Congress passed Bayanihan 2 and funded it with P165 billion for social amelioration, credit facility, and aid to displaced workers, including public utility vehicle drivers, among others.
“If our people are able to recover economically, our country will also be able to recover economically,” Pangilinan said.
He urged the DBM to release all the funds under Bayanihan 2 since the appropriation authority under the law expires on December 19.
Pangilinan doubted if the DBM can spend almost P70 billion with only a month left.
He said the programs being implemented under Bayanihan 2 should be examined to determine if they are yielding the optimum results.
Government agencies and local government units should also have the absorptive capacity to carry out major programs and dispense money efficiently, Pangilinan said.
Bernadette E. Tamayo
Source: ManilaTimes
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