Fund releases for the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response has amounted to P498.51 billion, data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed.
The amount accounts for total COVID-19 allotments to agencies as of December 11, 2020, based on data posted on the DBM website.
According to the DBM, of the said amount, P386.14 billion was released under Bayanihan 1.
Meanwhile, P6.59 billion was released in the period between the implementation of Bayanihan 1 and 2, while the remaining P105.78 billion is under Bayanihan 2.
The three agencies that accounted for the largest shares are the departments of Social Welfare and Development with P217.42 billion, Finance with P100.64 billion and Health with P73.44 billion.
The Department of Labor and Employment had a share of P28.98 billion; Department of Agriculture, P34.68 billion; Department of Education, P14.91 billion; Department of Transportation, P9.5 billion; Department of Public Works and Highways, P5.57 billion; Department of the Interior and Local Government, P4.31 billion; Department of National Defense, P2.92 billion; and Department of Trade and Industry, P1.3 billion.
Other agencies include University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (P415 million), Philippine Sports Commission (P180 million), Department of Science and Technology (P53.23 million), Department of Foreign Affairs (P825.09 million) and Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (P50.5 million).
In terms of funding source, P306.66 billion came from discontinued programs, activities and projects; P21.22 billion from the regular agency budget; P107.82 billion from special purpose funds; and P62.81 billion were certified by the Bureau of the Treasury as excess revenue collections and unutilized automatic appropriations. – A. Celis