QUEZON CITY -- Amid the imposition of the strictest quarantine classification in the National Capital Region (NCR), Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda said the House of Representatives will push for providing cash assistance to all Filipinos under the proposed Bayanihan to Arise as One Act, or Bayanihan 3.

Salceda said it is the “official position” of Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and the House leadership to pursue Bayanihan 3, particularly the P216-billion funding for two rounds of cash aid worth P2,000 to be given to each of the 108 million Filipinos regardless of economic status.

“The House is committed to implement this landmark (measure),” Salceda, the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, said during the virtual Ugnayan sa Batasan media forum on Thursday.

“The Philippines should be able to realize that in a crisis such as this, at least we have a policy instrument called Universal Basic Income, which is to give every Filipino citizen an aid from the government because everybody was hurt [by the pandemic] anyway,” he added.

Salceda said the emergence of the COVID-19 Delta variant and the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in NCR and nearby provinces have made it imperative for Congress to push for the cash aid.

“Kung ilalagay mo sa ECQ lahat, lahat bibigyan mo,” Salceda said, noting that those within Calabarzon should also be provided financial assistance.

In the same news forum, Salceda noted that the country’s fiscal recovery now hinges on the COVID-19 vaccines becoming widely available.

“We may not be able to recover in the fourth quarter if you do not have the vaccines. That’s the real issue,” said the House’s resident economist.

Meanwhile, Salceda assured that the suspension of sessions in Congress due to ECQ and the medical leave of Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado will not cause any delay in passing the 2022 national budget.

“We will still hold Committee Hearings despite the ECQ,” said Salceda, who is also a vice chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations.

He said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has until August 26 to submit to the House the National Expenditure Program for 2022.

As regards to Avisado’s medical leave, Salceda said that of all the departments in the Executive, the DBM has the most stable technocracy and bureaucracy. 

“I hope he (Avisado) gets well. Hindi ko naman sinasabi na hindi siya importante, but I think we have a very strong DBM technocracy, and the House can [still] do committee hearings on the budgets of various departments,” Salceda said. (HOR)