Duterte signs Bayanihan Law 2

MANILA (UPDATE) – President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday enacted the Bayanihan Act to Recover as One (Bayanihan 2), the government’s second coronavirus pandemic relief measure intended to act as the country’s defense against health problems and economic consequences of COVID-19.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go confirmed the development.

The new measure replaced the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1), which gave Duterte additional powers, such as the authority to realign government funds, to respond to the pandemic.

The Bayanihan 2 law is considered a life jacket for the economy, as it includes an aid package of 140,000 million pesos for industries negatively affected by the pandemic and a reserve fund of 25.52,000 million pesos that the government can spend. before the 2021 budget is taken. effect.

Like its predecessor, Bayanihan 2 allows the president to realign funds for expenses related to the pandemic.

Below is a breakdown of Bayanihan 2’s funds:

– Financing for government financial institutions – P39.47 billion
– Farmer loans – P24 billion
– Health related response – P13.5 billion
– Cash payment for work and involuntary dismissal – P13 billion
– Transportation programs – P9.5 billion
– Social welfare programs – P6 billion
– Hiring contact trackers – P5 billion
– Construction of temporary isolation facilities – P4.5 billion
– The transition of the education sector to a new normal – P4 billion
– Maintenance of insulation facilities (hotel, food, transportation bills) – P4.5 billion
– Tourism industry assistance and programs – P4 billion
– Assistance for state universities and colleges – P3 billion
– Acquisition of personal protective equipment – P3 billion
– Payment of local government loans – P2 billion
– Local government support fund – P1.5 billion
– TESDA Grant – P1 billion
– Fund for foreign relations assistance to nationals – P820 million
– Grants for qualified students – P600 million
– Subsidies for displaced teachers, non-teaching staff – P300 million
– Allocations for athletes and national coaches: 180 million p.
– Training and subsidies for tour guides – P100 million
– UP Computational Research Laboratory – P15 million
– Research Fund of the Health Technology Assessment Council – P10 million
– Professional Regulation Commission Computer Licensing Exam: P2.5 million
– Standby Fund – P25.52 billion

The signing came as the government opted to keep nearly the entire Philippines under relaxed virus restrictions until the end of the month in a bid to boost economic activity after the country entered a recession in the second quarter.

Economic activity was halted by a blockade imposed from mid-March until June, when the government slowly eased restrictions.

The Philippines employs a 4-tier community quarantine scheme, ranging from the strictest enhanced community quarantine to the more relaxed modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

The level of quarantine dictates the type of business activities allowed in a given area, as well as the travel restrictions.

With the exception of Iligan City, Bacolod City, and Lanao del Sur, all under the modified enhanced community quarantine, the rest of the Philippines underwent more relaxed virus restrictions.