Bayanihan 2 in ‘advanced stage’ sans passage before Congress adjournment —NEDA

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) believes that the executive and legislative are in “advanced stage” when it comes to the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act despite the Congress’ adjournment without passing the bill.

“First of all, we have been working with Congress daily since early May until the close of Congress, today, to develop a recovery program that is very adaptive and will address the concerns,” NEDA Acting Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said in a virtual press briefing Friday.

“I would like to believe we are in a very advanced stage,” he said.

The NEDA chief said that “in the coming days” the economic team will be discussing with the lawmakers concerns regarding the bill “so that we can quickly move the recovery program and draft it into legislation.”

“We are currently reviewing the second reading [version] bill of the Senate and we shall be sharing with them some of the remaining questions or concerns that we have,” he said.

With regards to the possibility of a special session while the Congress is on break, the NEDA chief said, “We are in discussion with the leaders of Congress and the Office of the President and we will seek guidance from them on whether there will be a special session or not.”

The Senate adjourned its first regular session on Thursday without passing the “Bayanihan 2” bill on third reading due to the absence of a certification that the bill is urgent.

Senator Sonny Angara, sponsor of the bill, confirmed that the executive branch did not certify it as urgent.

The House of Representatives also adjourned sine die on Friday without passing the measure.

The “Bayanihan 2” serves as a supplement to the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act —which expired Friday upon adjournment of the Congress.

The measure outlines P140 billion-worth of economic recovery interventions.

The bill provides for the appropriation of a P140 billion in standby fund to facilitate economic recovery which shall be spent as follows:

•     P10 billion for efforts to ramp up COVID-19 testing and enhancement of health care services
•     P15 billion for the implementation of cash-for-work program and the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD)
•     P17 billion for unemployment or involuntary separation assistance to the displaced workers in health, education, tourism, culture and arts, creative industry, transportation and other sectors affected by the pandemic
•     P50 billion for infusion of capital to government financial institutions
•     P17 billion support to the agriculture sector
•     P17 billion assistance to the critically impacted businesses in the transportation industry and for the development of accessible sidewalks and protected bicycle lanes
•     P10 billion support for the bogged-down tourism sector
•     P3 billion assistance to state universities and colleges for their transition to flexible learning modality
•     P1 billion assistance to Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for the development of smart campuses.

Among the sources of the proposed multi-billion appropriation are the 2020 General Appropriations Act, savings pooled pursuant to the first Bayanihan law, excess revenue collections, loans, foreign borrowings, and taxes collected from offshore gaming industry.—AOL, GMA News