House to ratify Bayanihan 2 bill Aug. 24

The bill is the second installment of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which gave Duterte 31 emergency powers to address the Covid-19 crisis in the country. The law already expired on June 25. (File Photo: House of Representatives/Facebook)

MANILA – The House of Representatives is set to ratify on Monday (Aug. 24) the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or the Bayanihan 2, according to Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte.

This came after the congressional bicameral conference committee approved the reconciled version of the Bayanihan 2 bill on Thursday.

“After three days of marathon sessions with our Senate counterparts, we finally approved the reconciled final version of the Bayanihan 2 or the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act this [Thursday] afternoon. The House will ratify on Monday and the Senate this afternoon,” Villafuerte said.

After ratification by both houses of Congress, the bill, which is one of the legislative priorities President Rodrigo Duterte enumerated in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27, shall be transmitted to Malacañang for his signature.

The bill is the second installment of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which gave Duterte 31 emergency powers to address the Covid-19 crisis in the country. The law already expired on June 25.

The latest version proposes over PHP160 billion worth of stimulus fund to support the country’s response and recovery interventions for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

A total of PHP13.5 billion shall be allocated for the Department of Health’s (DOH) continuous employment of emergency human resources for health, risk allowances for both public and private health care workers (HCWs), free life insurance for all HCWs, and HCW compensation for death and critical illness.

Other interventions include PHP3 billion for the procurement of PPE sets; PHP4.5 billion for the construction of temporary medical isolation and quarantine facilities; and PHP13 billion for cash-for-work for displaced workers, and unemployment or involuntary separation assistance for displaced workers, among others.