Palace assures fund availability even if widespread immunization vs COVID-19 to be expected only by May 2021

September 7, 2020

Malacanang assured on Monday that the government could still fund its COVID-19 responses even if it would take a little longer to have a widespread immunization against coronavirus disease.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said this was the reason why the Department of Finance has been "very conservative" with the expenditures, including the budget that it asked for the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act or Bayanihan II bill, which is up for President Rodrigo Duterte's approval.

"If you remember, the proposal of Congress for a stimulus package is very high and Secretary of Finance (Carlos) Sonny Dominguez (III) gave a certain amount only because we don't know how long the COVID pandemic will be," he said.

He said if the projection of the World Health Organization that the widespread immunization could only be done by middle of next year, "the conservative financial planning of the Department of Finance is bearing fruit."

"We can still have the budget if there will be a prolonged pandemic," Roque said.

Under the Bayanihan II bill, Congress has given the executive branch the allocation of P140 billion for various sectors greatly affected by coronavirus pandemic and P25-billion standby appropriations. Celerina Monte/DMS