Niratipikahan na ng Senado nitong Huwebes ang panukalang Bayanihan to Recover as One Act o Bayanihan 2, na naglalaan ng P165.5 bilyong pondo sa pagbangon ng bansa sa epekto ng COVID-19 pandemic. Kabilang sa niresolba sa Bicameral Committee hearing ang alokasyon na P10 bilyon para sa sektor ng turismo dahil magkaiba ang ahensiyang nais ng mga senador at kongresista na paglagyan ng pondo.
Sa bersiyon ng Senado ng Bayanihan 2, nais ng mga senador na ilagay ang P10 bilyon sa Department of Tourism upang magamit na pondo sa pagtulong sa mga negosyo sa turismo na matinding naapektuhan ng pandemiya.
Samantalang sa bersiyon ng Kamara de Representante, nais ng mga kongresista na ilagay ang P10 bilyon sa ahensiyang nakapaloob sa DOT na Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), na namamahala mga infrastructure project patungkol sa turismo.
Sa ginawang pagpupulong ng mga kinatawan ng Senado at Kamara sa bicameral conference committee, kung saan nilulutas ang magkakaibang probisyon sa dalawang panukalang batas bago pag-isahin ng dalawang kapulungan, napagkasunduan na hatiin sa tatlong ahensiya ang P10 bilyon.
Ayon kay Senador Sonny Angara, chairman ng Senate Finance Committee at nanguna sa lupon ng mga senador sa bicam, inilaan ang P6 bilyon sa Small Business Corp., kung saan maaaring makautang ang mga maliliit na negosyante sa turismo na naapektuhan ng pandemiya; P3 bilyon sa Department of Labor and Employment para ipang-ayuda sa mga manggagawa sa turismong nawalan ng trabaho; at P1 bilyon para sa tourism infrastructure na inilagay naman sa Department of Public Works and Highways, sa halip na sa TIEZA.
Pinagtibay na ng Senado ang naturang panukala matapos na aprubahan ng bicameral panel. Inaasahan naman na aaprubahan ng Kamara ang Bayanihan 2 sa susunod na linggo.
READ: Tourism stakeholders push for P10-B credit facility in Bayanihan 2 for COVID-hit businesses
Naging kontrobersiyal ang naturang probisyon na nagkakaloob ng P10 bilyong pangsuporta sa turismo matapos iginiit ng mga negosyanteng nasa nasabing sektor na ilaan ang pondo na pangsuporta sa mga negosyanteng naapektuhan ng pandemya sa halip na ilagay sa mga proyektong pang-empraestruktura.
Mga kongresista, idinepensa ni Sen. Cayetano
Sa deliberasyon ng Senado nitong Huwebes, idinepensa naman ni Senador Pia Cayetano ang mga kongresista laban sa mga umano'y pahiwatig na may ibang motibo sa mga kongresista kaya iminungkahi ng Kamara na ilagay sa TIEZA ang kontrobersiyal na pondo.
"I would like to point out the insinuation that no one in the Senate pushed for anything for personal gain makes it appear that our counterparts in the House did. And you all know that the Speaker is my brother," saad ni Cayetano, na dating kongresista at kapatid ni Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.
"I'd like to, on behalf of my former colleagues in the House, to put on record that I do take offense na ang dami natin parinig na parang 'yung sa kanila eh may personal gain," pahayag pa ng senadora.
Ipinaliwanag din ni Sen. Cayetano na sinusuportahan niya ang infrastructure project sa turismo at ginawa niyang halimbawa ang mga boardwalk sa Aurora province.
"If you don't like it, okay lang 'yun pero let's not naman insinuate na may masamang intention 'yung counterparts natin. I don't like the insinuation that there are other... because I was also a member of that House and I will stand up and speak for them because they cannot speak in this house," paliwanag niya.
"And I'm not pinpointing anyone because it becomes a joke but I dont think it's a funny joke because these people mean well, they want to also take care of our constituents, the way we also want to," sabi pa ng senadora.
Bukod sa pondong inilaan para sa turismo, kasama rin sa alokasyon ng "survival and recovery" Bayanihan 2 bill ang mga sumusunod:
Mula sa P140 billion (general appropriations)
*P3 billion for the procurement of face masks, PPEs, shoe covers, and face shields
*P4.5 billion for the construction of temporary medical isolation and quarantine facilities, field hospitals, dormitories, and for the expansion of gov’t hospital capacity
*P4.5 billion for Office of Civil Defense or NDRRMC isolation facilities and other requirements including billing of hotels, food and transportation used by COVID-19 patients
*P13.5 billion for the DOH to employ emergency Human Resources for Health
*P820 million as a fund for Overseas Filipinos under the Department of Foreign Affairs
*P13 billion for the government’s cash-for-work program and other support programs for impacted sectors
*P600M as subsidies and allowances for students severely impacted by the pandemic
*P300M as subsidies and allowances to teaching and non-teaching personnel, and party-time faculty in SUCs
*P180M as allowance for our national athletes and coaches
*P39.472B as capital infusion to government banks, broken down as follows: P10B for the DTI Small Business Corporation (SBCorp)—P4B of which will be devoted for low-interest loans to MSMEs, cooperatives, hospitals, and OFWs, and P6B for tourism; P18.4725B for the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP); P6B for the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP); and, P5B for the Philippine Guarantee Corporation
*P24B as assistance to the agricultural sector and the Plant, Plant, Plant initiative under the Department of Agriculture
*P9.5B in assistance to the transportation industry
*P4B for the tourism industry, and another P100M for tourist guides training and subsidies
*P3B for the development of smart campuses across the country
*P1B for TESDA Scholarships
*P6B for DSWD’s assistance to individuals in crisis situations
*P4B for the DepEd’s implementation of digital education
*P1.5B as assistance to LGUs, with another P2B as subsidy for the payment of interest on loans secured by LGUs from government banks
*P5B for the DILG to hire more contact tracers
*P2.5M for the computer-based licensure of the Philippine Red Cross
*P10M for the research fund of the Health Technology Assessment Council, which was created under the UHC Law
*P15M for UP Diliman’s Computational Research Lab
Mula sa P25.5 billion (standby fund)
*P10 billion for COVID-19 testing, and procurement of medication and vaccines
*P15.5275 billion as additional capital infusion to government banks (P9 billion for the LBP and P6.5 billion for the DBP).
Kapag niratipikahan na rin sa Kamara ang panukalang Bayanihan 2, pirma na lang ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang kailangan upang maging ganap na itong batas.--FRJ, GMA News