The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed on its third reading the Bayanihan 3 bill with a budget amounting to PHP 401 billion in order to help Filipinos recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Via voice voting, the lower chamber approved the Bayanihan 3 law, formally known as the Bayanihan To Arise As One Act, during Tuesday's plenary session. The approved version is slightly lower than the initial PHP 405.6 billion Bayanihan 3 proposal.
The Bayanihan 3 measure seeks to provide P2,000 cash aid per Filipino, regardless of social status, which will be given in two tranches, amounting to P1,000 per tranche.
It also seeks to provide wage subsidies, assistance to displaced workers, housing relief, assistance to the agri-fishery sector, medical assistance, and support to basic education, among others.
It also intends to help pandemic-affected households in areas declared under enhanced community quarantine through a one-time cash subsidy ranging from P5,000 to P10,000, which will be implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Other assistance included in the measure are as follows:
- assistance to displaced/disadvantaged workers – PHP 25 billion
- national nutrition – PHP 6 billion
- assistance to the agri-fishery sector – PHP 30 billion
- assistance to cooperatives – PHP 2 billion
- medical assistance to indigents program of the Department of Health – PHP 9 billion
- local government support fund – PHP 3 billion
- RT-PCR for seafarers and OFWs – PHP 500 million
- pension and gratuity fund – PHP 54.6 billion
- support to basic education – PHP 4 billion
- support for higher education – PHP 500 million
House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, one of the principal authors of the measure, earlier expressed hopes that the lower chamber will be able to approve Bayanihan 3 before it adjourns on June 5.
