Palace still undecided on supplemental budget 57 days since quarantine

The Palace is still undecided whether it will ask Congress for a supplemental budget 57 days since the Luzon lockdown has been imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Wala pa pong desisyon diyan. But this week, I expect Secretary Wendel [Avisado] to come up with an amount of how much can be realigned to the executive branch, ano ang puede i-realign para sa amount na kakailanganin sa supplemental budget,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday.

“Pero hindi pa po nagdedesisyon ang economic development cluster at Development Budget Coordination Committee rito,” Roque added.

Likewise, Roque was non-committal if the Palace will decide on the issue on whether to ask Congress for supplemental budget this week.

“I am not sure kung magkakaroon ng ganyang desisyon this week,” Roque said.

“Wala pa po iyan in the near future,” Roque added.

The enhanced community quarantine in Luzon has reduced if not taken away income of around four million workers since the quarantine meant a ban on mass transport and prohibition of mass gathering, stopping work in many industries.

The government has initially granted P5,000 to P8,000 social amelioration cash aid for each of 18 million families nationwide, but the distribution of the said cash aid has been marred by delays due to prohibition of mass gathering and social distancing requirement amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 18 million families as target number of beneficiaries has since  been ordered increased by President Rodrigo Duterte to 23 million for the month of May, but the Palace has yet to issue guidelines as to how the additional five million will be chosen and how this additional requirement will be funded.

The Bayanihan law passed by Congress has already allowed the President to realign P275 billion of funds under the P4.1 trillion 2020 national budget.

The Philippines has recorded at least 10,794 COVID-19 cases so far. Of this number, 1,924 recovered while 719 died. — RSJ, GMA News