Bayanihan to Heal as One Act Bill

The BAYANIHAN TO HEAL AS ONE ACT BILL jointly passed by the Senate and House of Representatives and enrolled for the signature of President Duterte. This measure will grant the president special powers to address COVID-19 in the country.

Salient points of the Bayanihan Act for LGUs:

The Act's Guiding Priciple for LGUs

-- Under Section 4(g) of the Act, the President is tasked to ensure that LGUs are acting within the letter and spirit of the national government's directives while still allowing them to exercise autonomy on matters undefined by the national government;

Budget

-- The Act limits reappropriation to the budget and savings of the Executive Branch. It also allows the realignment of teh 2020 Budget for social amelioration, recovery, and rehabilitation;

-- SECTION 4(g), which will authorize LGUs to utilize more than five percent (5\\\\%) of the amount allocated for their calamity fund subject to additional funding and support from the national government;

-- SECTION 4(v)(9), wherein allocations to LGUs are part of the items in the budget to be prioritized for augmentation by the President;

-- SECTION 4(cc), which will allow DSWD and DOLE to provide assistance, cash or non-cash, through LGUs or directly to households without income as a continuation of the 4Ps Program; and

-- SECTION 4(dd), which will lift the 30\\\\% cap on the Quick Response Fund of both the national and local governments during the existence of the state of national emergency

Subsidy

-- Emergency subsidies 18 million low-income families and emergency cash aid worth Php 5,000 to 8,000 depending on the prevailing minimum wage in the region;

-- Special Risk Allowance and Hazard Pay (Php 500) under Magna Carta of Public Health Workers;

-- Php 100 Million compensation to all public and private health workers who may contract COVID-19 while on duty; and

-- Php 1 Million compensation to a public or private health worker who died due to COVID-19, retroactive to 1 February 2020

Transportation

-- The Act shall allow the President to regulate and limit the operation of all sectors of transportation through land, sea, or air, whether private and public (Section 4(r)), and to regulate traffic on all roads, streets, bridges, and other access points (Section 4(s))

Reporting

-- The President shall submit a weekly report to Congress of expenditures and funds utilized and realigned to addess the COVID-19 pandemic

Enforceability and Extension

-- The Bayanihan Act shall be in full force and effect for three (3) months unless withdrawn sooner by Congress through a Joint Resolution or a Presidential Procalamation. Any extension shall also be resolved by the Congress;

Penalities

-- Included in the imposition of two (2) months of imprisonment or a fine of not less than Php 10,000 but not more than Php 10 Million are LGU officials who disobey national government policies or directives in imposing quaratines (Section 6(a)). In addition, offending public officials or employees shall suffer perpetual or temporary absolute disqualification from office, as the case may be.

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