The Inter-Agency Task for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) assured that the COVID-19 response of the government will not be hindered by the slight delay of the Bayanihan 2 fund release.
IATF-EID Co-Chairperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles guaranteed that all funds allocated for the implementation of Bayanihan 2 have already been secured and are ready for utilization.
“Mayroon lang talagang tinatawag nating proseso, may mga papeles na kinakailangang i-submit sa DBM (Department of Budget and Management), may kailangan pirmahan (There is a process and papers have to be submitted to the DBM for signing),” Nograles explained.
In terms of transparency, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado will be invited to his regular press briefing on Thursday to discuss the matter.
The DBM previously assured that “it provides sufficient attention to the release of funds pursuant to Republic Act No. 11494 or the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act”.
“Out of the P140 billion worth of COVID-19 related interventions, the DBM has already released allotments amounting to P4.413 billion pesos,” the DBM reported.
The latest allotment includes funds for the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) amounting to Php 2.5 billion for contact tracers, Php 855 million for Office of Civil Defense (OCD) for isolation facilities and billing of hotels, Php 215 million for the Bureau of the Treasury for local government units (LGUs), and Php 820 million for the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) assistance-to-nationals fund.
“All allotments released pursuant to RA No. 11494 will be appropriately reported to Congress and the Commission on Audit, as well as to the general public through the DBM website,” the DBM added. – Report from Mela Lesmoras
