Solon wants extension of Bayanihan 2 fund availability for COVID vaccines

A House representative has filed a bill seeking to extend until December 2022 the availability of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) budget for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. 

Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles filed House Bill 8017, which seeks to extend the effectivity of certain provisions in Bayanihan 2 that is set to expire when Congress adjourns session on December 19.

Nograles said that Section 12 of the emergency measure, which provides for the procurement of COVID medication and vaccine, has been determined to lapse three months after December 19, 2020 because lawmakers anticipated that a vaccine would be made ready for commercial use by then.

But recent developments in the vaccines trials and production pushed Nograles to propose for the extension of the availability fund allocation until December 31, 2022.

"Republic Act No. 11494 (Bayanihan 2) was enacted in anticipation of the commercial availability of the vaccines by the end of 2020. Several potential COVID vaccines, to date, are still going through the three-stage clinical trial process and the results are expected to be reported by the end of 2020 or early 2021," Nograles said.

There are currently five potential vaccines against COVID-19 that have already been submitted for possible clinical trials in the Philippines.

Bayanihan 2 earmarked P10 billion in standby funds for the purchase of medication and vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019. 

Under the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021, P18 billion is earmarked for vaccines – P8 billion of which is under regular funds while P10 billion is lodged under unprogrammed appropriations.

Further, the congressman said other provisions in Bayanihan 2, which would streamline the process of responding to the pandemic, should also be given an extended validity.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto has also filed a bill seeking for an extension of Bayanihan 2 until March 2021 to allow government agencies to fully use the appropriations given to them under the law. —LBG, GMA News