Duterte: Almost P78B released for COVID-19 response under Bayanihan 2, 2020 budget

Nearly P78 billion has been released from state coffers to support programs aimed at mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Rodrigo Duterte said in a report to Congress on Tuesday.

Duterte said the sources of funding included allocations under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (P76.228 billion) and other available funds under the 2020 national budget (P1.753 billion).

The releases charged against the Bayanihan 2 appropriations as of October 29 are as follows:

• Department of the Interior and Local Government (P2,522,660,000)
• Office of Civil Defense (P855,190,418)
• Bureau of the Treasury (BTr)- local government units (P451,474,250)
• Department of Foreign Affairs (P820 million)
• Professional Regulation Commission (P2.5 million)
• Department of Social Welfare and Development (P6 billion)
• Department of Transportation (P9.5 billion)
• Department of Agriculture (P12.032 billion)
• BTr-Development Bank of the Philippines (P1 billion)
• BTr-Land Bank of the Philippines (P1 billion)
• BTr – Small Business Corporation (P8,080,098,000)
• Philippine Sports Commission (P180 million)
• Department of Labor and Employment (P13.1 billion)
• Department of Health (P20,574,952,000)
• Department of Trade and Industry (P100 million)

The releases charged against available funding sources under the 2020 national budget are as follows:

• Department of Public Works and Highways (P994,745,247)
• Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (P28,371,099)
• DOH (P730,047,199)

The President said 54.45% of the P140-billion appropriations under Bayanihan 2 has been released.

“Additional releases will be made as soon as the corresponding budget requests, together with the necessary supporting documents are submitted, consistent with existing budgeting laws, rules and regulations,” Duterte said in his second monthly report on the implementation of Bayanihan 2.

Some lawmakers had earlier expressed frustration over the slow release of funds but Malacañang said the funds under Bayanihan 2 can be spent beyond the law’s expiration on December 19.  —KBK, GMA News