The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is looking at rechanneling the budget for non-essential items to further fund the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic response.
Wendel Avisado, budget secretary, said in a virtual briefing yesterday the executive department is eyeing austerity measures to help finance Bayanihan 3.
“We’re working it out at the executive department, an executive order for the observance of austerity measures most likely to sweep some of the funds that are available at the moment from national government agencies and government-owned and -controlled corporations and those that can be generated by the Department of Finance (DOF), precisely to come up with a more determinable amount to match the efforts of congress, because there are varying amounts in so far as the various bills currently filed are being considered,” Avisado said, referring to the proposed Bayanihan 3.
Avisado said the financial assistance given to those affected by the ongoing enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and nearby areas is just a one-time amount.
“The other dimension that needs to be looked into is what about other regions who may experience the same kind of reclassification later on, and that’s the thing we’re preparing for and by then we would be needing the assistance of congress already for an enabling act or law, similar to Bayanihan 1 and 2,” Avisado said.
The budget chief said the government is looking at what would be the approximate amount that the DOF can raise and those that can be gathered from the available funds of the national government agencies to help finance Bayanihan 3.
“Most of it will really be taken from maintenance and other operating expenses, the non-essential items and programs that may now be rechanneled to address the continuing effects of the pandemic, and probably some of the projects that have already been lined up that are yet to be implemented,” Avisado said.
The budget chief said examples of items that can be rechanneled include travelling expenses and budgets for seminars and representation.
