‘SOBRANG SAYANG’

Robredo laments P6.49-B funds under Bayanihan 2 left unused

Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday lamented that billions of pesos under Bayanihan 2 were unused as the measure expired last week.

In her weekly radio show, Robredo said the national government should have utilized all the funds under Bayanihan 2 to strengthen the country's pandemic response.

Bayanihan 2 expired on June 30 with unused funds amounting to P6.49 billion

"Sobrang sayang na marami na sanang natulungan na mga magsasaka, mga manggagawa, 'yong mga health workers, 'yong mga kailangan ng mga health institutions natin tapos hindi nagamit," Robredo said.

(It's unfortunate. The funding could have used to help a lot of farmers, workers, health workers, health institutions, and it wasn't made used.)

"Kapag nakita mo 'yong ganito na ang laking pera tapos parang hindi pinahahalagahan, hindi nagastos, sayang kasi ang dami na mag-be-benefit sana," she added.

(When you see something like this, this huge amount of money that wasn't prioritized, wasn't spent, it's unfortunate because it could have been beneficial.)

Robredo said if only the budget was given to her office, they would have used it to boost the country's testing capacity.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed Bayanihan 2 or Republic Act 11494 in September 2020.

Bayanihan 3, which was approved by the House of Representatives on third and final reading, seeks to provide P401 billion worth of interventions to help Filipinos recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national government's outstanding debt widened to a record-high of nearly P11 trillion as of end-April 2021. — DVM, GMA News