SEN. Juan Edgardo Angara yesterday called on government agencies that have yet to fully use their allocations under the 2020 national budget and the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, or Bayanihan 2, to already spend their budgets before the effectivity of the two laws expire on June 30.
Angara, who is the chairman of the Senate committee on finance, reminded concerned government agencies that the effectivity of both the General Appropriations Act of 2020 and the Bayanihan 2 are only up to June 30 this year.
The two laws were supposed to expire in December last year. Congress extended their validity until June 30 to give the government more time to disburse the funding allocation included in the two measures.
“We hope that they can use them (the funds) before they expire, otherwise that will revert (to the Bureau of Treasury). That would put to waste the good intention of lawmakers, as the people’s representatives, to help the different sectors of society… We cannot say that we lacked time because we even extended the validity of the laws,” Angara said.
Angara said the funds would not “expire” if these are “obligated” before June 30. ”The important deadline is by June 30. All funds authorized under Bayanihan 2 and the 2020 FAA must have been obligated,” he said.
Angara said the Department of Agriculture still has P1.5 billion unobligated funds, the Department of Transportation has P6 billion to P7 billion, the Department of Health has P9 billion, and the Department of Trade and Industry with P1 billion for loans to small and medium enterprises.
Angara also said the Department of Education has yet to withdraw the P4 billion funding provided by Congress for the implementation of digital infrastructures and alternative learning modalities amid the pandemic.
The senator said the P4 billion funds could be used to buy teachers’ gadgets since most of them do not have one to use for their remote teaching. He added the teachers can also use the funds for their respective internet connections.
While the law has been around since September 2020, Angara said DepEd has only recently obligated P2.506 billion or 62.6 percent out of the P4 billion allocation.
He said that of the P2.506 billion, only P32 million has been disbursed as of May 7, 2021 that translates to a disbursement rate of 1.28 percent.
Aside from the implementation of the digital infrastructures and alternative learning modalities, Angara said DepEd also has P300 million under Bayanihan 2 for the provision of subsidies and allowances to qualified students that have not been obligated.
He said as of May 7, 2021, the DepEd has recorded a zero percent obligation rate for this particular item.
He said he has already asked DepEd for a report on its utilization of funds under Bayanihan 2.
Angara said the DOTr has not yet obligated P6 billion to P7 billion in subsidies to public transport drivers because some of the intended beneficiaries either have submitted incomplete documents while others cannot be located.
He appealed to the DOTr to ease some documentary requirements and make simple the filling up of forms for the assistance.
He said the other government agencies have yet to explain why they also have not obligated the authorized funds under them.
Angara said it has been the clamor of a number of senators that they first look at how funds under Bayanihan 2 and the 2020 GAA have been spent before they discuss the passage of the proposed Bayanihan 3 since right now, they are already monitoring three budgets — the 2020 GAA, Bayanihan 2, and the 2021 GAA.
“Some of my colleagues in the Senate are saying that we better exhaust the time period given the 2020 GAA and Bayanihan 2 so we can see a better picture of the budget before we pass the Bayanihan 3,” he said.
