The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations on Friday approved the substitute bill to the proposed Bayanihan to Arise as One Act or Bayanihan 3.
In an online meeting presided by Rep. Ruwel Peter Gonzaga of Davao de Oro, the committee’s vice chairperson, the panel passed the total funding for Bayanihan 3 of P405.6 billion, which would be allocated in three phases.
Prior to the bill’s approval, Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda of Albay, chairman of the House committee on ways and means, defended the constitutionality of House Bill 8628 that was principally authored by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.
In his remarks, Salceda said that Bayanihan 3 already meets the constitutional requirement “that the proposal be supported by funds to be raised by revenue proposed in the same bill.”
“The question of presentation of certification of availability of funds is superfluous because the proposal meets the condition that a special appropriations bill be supported by funds … to be raised by a corresponding revenue proposed therein,” he added.
In fact, Sections 34, 35, and 36 of the proposal identify sources for funding the measure, Salceda said.
In comments after his defense in the panel, Salceda added that Bayanihan 3 introduces innovative methods of helping the poor and “building a stronger market-assisted social welfare state.”
“We are introducing, for the first time in Philippine policy if enacted, the concept of Universal Basic Income: P1,000 per Filipino, no ifs or buts. It avoids politicization. The rich can freely return it if they want; after all, there are very few rich people in this country. Almost everybody is hurting,” Salceda added.
The House tax chair, however, emphasized the need to keep an eye on the country’s finances.
“I nonetheless reiterate the need for continued fiscal vigilance as the Philippines is already at the front end of the pack for deficit spending in Southeast Asia,” he said.
“Although we can accommodate some expansion in deficit spending coming from a low pre-pandemic debt stock, with an all-time low of 39.6 percent of GDP in 2019, deficit spending should not be a substitute for full recovery through an effective national vaccination strategy and a safe reopening of the economy,” Salceda said.
“Bayanihan 3 is a bridge to the vaccine and the reopening of the economy, but we need this bridge to get there,” he added.
Meanwhile, Rep. Francisco Benitez of Negros Occidental headed the Technical Working Group (TWG) that consolidated seven House bills and one resolution on Bayanihan 3.
Salceda referred to Bayanihan 3 as a “lifeline package” and not a stimulus package.
“I just would like to put that in the right words that many people are relying on this just to get by after almost 16 months of vastly reduced income, higher hunger, and unemployment. It introduced a new concept in social development, which is called universal basic income which is ‘ayuda for all,’” Salceda said.
The new Bayanihan 3 package also seeks to give emergency assistance to affected households, wage subsidies, assistance to displaced workers and the agri-fishery sector, subsidy for national nutrition, and a medical assistance to indigents program by the Department of Health (DOH).
It also seeks funding support for the Department of Education (DepEd), reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for seafarers and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), Local Government Units relief, as well as a Pension and Gratuity fund for retired uniformed personnel.
Funding for tranches 2 and 3 will remain as stand-by funds, which would depend on the certification of availability of funds to be issued by the Bureau of Treasury (BTr).
“Considering the urgency of the measure and to ensure its passage, the Committee moves for the approval of the bill of which the amount appropriated therein is subject to the certification by the national treasurer on funds actually available,” the group noted.
The panel also approved with amendments the substitute bills in establishing the Philippine Virology Science and Technology Institute and the Center for Disease Prevention and Control as part of modernization of the public health emergency preparedness.
Both substitute measures were authored and sponsored by Zambales Rep. Cheryl Deloso-Montalla.
