Bayanihan 1 implementation ‘very good,’ says Sotto

The implementation of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, the first emergency measure passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, was "very good," Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Wednesday.

"The implementation of Bayanihan 1, I think, is very good. That's a matter of fact. I cannot say excellent because nagkaroon ng problema sa distribution ng social amelioration program," he said in a virtual Kapihan sa Manila Bay.

"The reason was the national ID system, hindi agad nila trinabaho noong nakaraang pang administrasyon hanggang ngayon," he added.

The Bayanihan 1 was passed by Congress in a marathon session in March last year to give the President the power to realign funds and provide emergency subsidy to 18 million poorest households in the country amid the health and economic crisis.

However, its implementation has been mainly criticized for the slow distribution of the P5,000 to P8,000 cash assistance.

President Rodrigo Duterte also blamed the lack of a national ID system for the bottlenecks in handing out the aid to the people

A second Bayanihan law, the P165-billion Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, was signed in September to help various sectors get back on their feet after being bogged down by lockdowns due COVID-19.

Its validity was originally set to lapse on December 19, but Congress extended the appropriations under it until June 30, 2021.

"Bayanihan 2 is still in progress and I think naman they're doing well, they're doing fine. I can't say it's bad," Sotto said.

Following the extension of Bayanihan 2 until mid-2021, the Senate President said he does not see the necessity for the urgent passage of Bayanihan to Rebuild as One bill or Bayanihan 3.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, nonetheless, already filed the said bill in December. Some lawmakers in the House of Representatives also did. — RSJ, GMA News