Velasco, Salceda call for Bayanihan 3 passage amid ECQ imposition in NCR

House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Albay Representative Joey Salceda reiterated Friday their call for the passage of the Bayanihan 3 that will provide cash subsidy to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The imposition of ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) in Metro Manila due to the threat of the Delta variant brings to light the urgency of Bayanihan 3, and we appeal to our counterparts in the Senate to pass this measure and to our economic managers to secure funding for this bill," Velasco said.

"We must strive to find a balance between keeping our citizens safe while ensuring that their essential needs are secured," he added.

Salceda noted that there would be no other recourse but a supplemental budget through the passage of the proposed Bayanihan 3.

"The economic managers were broaching the idea of a 173 billion package. We can live with that. The Senate majority appears willing to live with it as well," Salceda said.

Taguig-Pateros Representative Alan Peter Cayetano, for his part, urged the national government to provide P10,000 cash aid to families residing in Metro Manila after the announcement that it would be placed under ECQ by next month.

The former Speaker said the government should continue its TUPAD (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers) program in order for the businesses and workers to survive amid the strictest lockdown if the P10K ayuda bill will not be passed on time.

“Some businesses will not survive the ECQ because the people have not saved enough for the new lockdown. Workers like waiters, chefs, and entertainers will slowly lose their jobs and they have not had regular work for one year already” Cayetano said in a statement.

"If they want to keep businesses alive pending the 10K ayuda, then go for TUPAD,” he added.

On the other hand, Salceda has questions on whether the ECQ imposition will work amid the threat of the Delta variant.

He said ECQs would only work when done "early enough."

"It does not work not in response to a wave, because its impact is lagged. We'll see its benefits only a month later, since we're implementing it only for (two) weeks. So, I have second thoughts about whether it will work this time," Salceda said.

According to the lawmaker, ECQs should be done as a last resort and "only when it will work better than a combination of testing, tracing, treatment capacity expansion, and stronger minimum health standards."

Salceda said the best way to address the more infectious variant is to quickly vaccinate the general public.

"We may have to acquire Janssen instead of the two-dose brands, because this will no longer involve a window or lag time during which the virus could spread. We must introduce something I call 'home immunity.' If your home or your workplace has already achieved 70% vaccination rate, you are probably safer. That's faster to do with Janssen," he said.

The government decided to place Metro Manila under ECQ from August 6 to 20. From July 31 to August 5, the region will be under general community quarantine "subject to heightened and additional restrictions."—AOL, GMA News