Palace: Amount of unused Bayanihan 2 funds to be confirmed next week | ABS-CBN

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Palace: Amount of unused Bayanihan 2 funds to be confirmed next week

Palace: Amount of unused Bayanihan 2 funds to be confirmed next week

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News

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Protesters from a worker’s group hold a rally at the Boy Scout Circle on Tomas Morato St., in Quezon City on June 28, 2021 to press the government to extend the Bayanihan 2 Act and pass the Bayanihan 3 Bill that will provide assistance to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News



MANILA — The government next week could confirm how much funds for COVID-19 response it had failed to use from the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2), Malacañang said on Tuesday, following concern from Vice President Leni Robredo.

All Bayanihan 2 funds have been released to line agencies, which are given until July 15 to report the budget utilization, said Palace spokesman Harry Roque.

"We will be able to confirm kung magkano po iyong magri-revert sa National Treasury, but only on July 15th," he said in a press briefing.

Robredo on Sunday expressed concern over reports that around P18.4 billion under Bayanihan 2 remained unused, after the law expired on June 30.

"Sobrang sayang. Iniisip ko lang, ilan na kaya—kung binigay iyon sa amin—ilan na kaya iyong nasilbihan namin ng bakuna?" she said on her weekly radio show.

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(It's a pity. I am wondering, if that was given to us, how many could we have given vaccines?)

Addressing Robredo, Roque said, "I ask the Vice President, who is an economist, please let’s wait for data before we make conclusions."

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda earlier pushed for a "special session" while Congress was in recess so that the validity of the Bayanihan 2 could be extended.

He warned that when the legislated funding expires on June 30, so would the budget for COVID-19 contact tracers hired under Bayanihan 2, among others.

Congress went on recess last June 5 and would resume its session when Duterte delivers his sixth and last State of the Nation Address on July 26.

The Philippine government in 2021 worked with 3 major fund appropriations, including this year's national budget, the 2020 budget whose validity was extended until Dec. 31, and the Bayanihan 2 which was first extended until June 30.

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