MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has already released a total of P471.7 billion in funds to fight the health and socioeconomic crises inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic between March and October, the latest DBM data released on Tuesday (Nov. 3) showed.
The DBM released bulk of the funds—P386.1 billion—during the implementation of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act or Bayanihan 1, which had allowed diversion of funds to COVID-19 response.
Since Bayanihan 1 took effect in March and lapsed on June 24, P266.8 billion in funds were taken from:
- Discontinued programs and projects in the 2020 national budget and 2019 continuing appropriation
- P20.9 billion from regular agency budgets
- P98.4 billion from the special purpose funds that included calamity funds, contingency funds and funds that have not been allocated yet
Although Bayanihan 1 had expired, the government continued to fund response to the COVID-19 crisis, releasing P7.6 billion from the special purpose fund (P7.5 billion) and agency budgets (P86.1 million)
Upon approval of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, or Bayanihan 2, in September, the DBM released P77.9 billion in funds as of Oct. 29.
From March to October, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) received the biggest release—P217.4 billion—for dole outs to most vulnerable households, or poorest of the poor, at the height of one of the world’s longest and most stringent COVID-19 lockdown.
The other departments that received funding to fight COVID-19 were:
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- Department of Health (DOH), P72.9 billion
- Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), P25.7 billion
- Department of Finance (DOF), P99.6 billion
- Department of Agriculture (DA), P23.4 billion
- Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), P3.3 billion
- Department of National Defense (DND), P2.5 billion
- Department of Education (DepEd), P10.9 billion
- Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), P4.7 billion
- Department of Transportation (DOTr), P9.5 billion.
These departments also received funding:
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- Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), P825.1 million
- Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), P303 million
- Department of Science and Technology (DOST), P53.2 million
- Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp), P50.5 million
- University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH), P400 million
- Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), P180 million