Bayanihan 2 lapsed
The Bayanihan 2 to Recover as One Act meant to provide critical pandemic responses has expired on June 30, leaving the Covid-19 containment programs unfunded.
Obligation of funds has been sluggish and P9 billion of the Bayanihan was not spent.
The two legislative chambers are in recess and a special session to extend its availability has not been called, which means the unused account will revert to the national treasury.
As a consequence, millions of Filipinos will remain jobless, hungry, sick, uneducated, not vaccinated, and depressed. Thus, it will take a long time to reach a point of recovery.
In a crisis situation, politics and personal motives ought to be set aside and instead quickly attend to the needs of the public using available resources to the fullest and to be accounted for to be able to attain normalcy the soonest. — PERCIVAL B. ALIPIT, Baguio City