House panel OKs substitute bill seeking extension of Bayanihan 2's validity

The House committee on appropriations on Friday approved the substitute bill which seeks to extend the validity of Bayanihan 2.

The Bayanihan to Recover as One Act is set to expire on June 30 but the panel approved the substitute bill to House Bills 9196 and 9356, extending its validity until December 31 of this year.

Representatives Greg Gasataya and Paul Daza were the ones who moved for the approval.

Initially, the Bayanihan 2 had been set to expire on December 19, 2020, however, Republic Act 11519, signed in January, extended the validity of the appropriations until June 30, 2021.

Representative Niña Taduran, one of the sponsors of House Bill 9356, said there is a need to extend Bayanihan 2's validity as the government finds it hard to finish the disbursement of the allocated funds to all beneficiaries by June.

"With the extension, the people are assured that the allocated funds will be completely released to the intended beneficiaries and help them cope with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic," Taduran said.

The Department of Budget and Management said it already released the funds under the Bayanihan 2 to all implementing agencies.

According to Budget Assistant Secretary Kim de Leon, the cumulative obligation rate was at 51.06% and the disbursement rate was at 70.34% as of April 15.

He said the agency is still consolidating and updating its report.—AOL, GMA News