Salceda pushes House leadership for special session to extend Bayanihan 2 validity

Albay Representative Joey Salceda has recommended to the House leadership the calling of a special session for both chambers of Congress for the extension of the validity of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2).

In his aide memoire to Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez dated June 21, Salceda pointed out that without extension, “provinces potentially face a situation of having their contact tracing and healthcare response capacities drastically reduced for at least 26 days during a period of COVID-19 case surges.”

“The extension is a matter of life and death in many communities, as contact tracers and augmented human resources for health were hired  under Bayanihan 2 contracts that will also expire by June 30,” Salceda said.

If Bayanihan 2 expires, this will also mean P15.2 billion in various economic support programs to expire.

Salceda also noted that as of May 31, more than P18.4 billion in unobligated funds for critical pandemic response and recovery programs are about to expire.

“These include critical health interventions such as about P6.6 billion for laboratory testing services and hiring of human resources for health and about P873 million to hire and train contact tracers,” he said.

Bayanihan 2 is set to expire on June 30. House Bill 9538, which aims to extend the validity until December 31, was already passed on second reading at the House of Representatives. — BM, GMA News