President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2, which gives a ₱165.5 billion fund for COVID-19 response and recovery program of the government.
This development was announced by Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Friday. The bill was ratified by the Senate on August 20, followed by the House of Representatives a week later.
Funds under Bayanihan to Recover as One Act consists of ₱140 billion worth of regular appropriations and an additional standby fund of ₱25.5 billion.
The Department of Health will receive ₱3 billion for additional face masks, personal protective equipment, shoe covers, and face shields, alongside ₱13.5 billion for emergency employment and compensation of health workers.
₱4.5 billion was set aside for the construction of temporary isolation and quarantine facilities and expansion of existing public hospitals.
The Department of National Defense also gets some ₱4.5 billion to cover expenses in isolating and treating returning overseas Filipino workers who test positive for COVID-19. A separate ₱820 million fund is given to the Department of Foreign Affairs for repatriation efforts.
Cash-for-work and other programs were given ₱13 billion to aid displaced workers, while ₱6 billion will be given to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for cash assistance in areas under lockdown.
A total of ₱5 billion will be used to hire and train some 50,000 contact tracers. A ₱10 billion fund will be on standby for COVID-19 testing and purchase of COVID-19 medicines and vaccines once they become available.
The Bayanihan 2 Act requires the President to submit a report to Congress monthly until the end of the year. To recall, the predecessor law, Bayanihan 1, required a weekly formal report.
