By Mario Casayuran

Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong’” Go on Wednesday urged government to expedite the release of funds to assist Filipinos hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Go, chairman of the Senate health and demography committee, emphasized that there should be no politics, but fair and equal distribution among poorest of the poor in the fund distribution system.

Financial assistance to workers displaced by the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine is routed through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and vulnerable sectors through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Mahirap maging mahirap lalo na sa panahon ngayon, na walang trabaho dahil sa enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), kaya dapat nating bilisan ang ating aksyon para maibigay na sa taumbayan, lalo na sa mahihirap, ang kaukulang tulong para sa kanila,” Go said.

(It is hard to be poor during times like this, particularly when you are jobless because of the ECQ. That is why faster action is needed to give the poor the help they need.)

‘No politics’

As a member of the joint oversight committee that oversees the implementation of the Bayanihan Act of 2020, or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, Go emphasized that there should be no politics involved in the distribution of aid and that the funds must be allocated fairly and distributed equitably, especially among the poorest of the poor.

“Ang mga ahensya tulad ng DSWD dapat mamahala sa pagbibigay ng tulong. Ang mga pulitiko hindi dapat makialam. Huwag niyo po haluan ng pulitika, dahil mas humahaba pa ang proseso. Huwag na natin pahirapan pa ang mga tao, pabilisin na natin ang pagbigay ng tulong sa kanila,” Go said.

(DSWD [Department of Social Welfare and Development] should lead other government agencies in giving benefits to the needy. Politics has no role in the current situation. Political meddling only lengthens the process. Let us not burden the people and instead hasten the distribution of the fund releases.)

Go emphasized that the priority now is to be able to provide immediate healthcare needs to solve the health problem and defeat the coronavirus and, at the same time, provide cash and food assistance to those who are affected the most by this crisis.

“With the passage of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, the bulk of government spending is now allocated to DOH (Department of Health) for immediate healthcare needs, DSWD for social assistance especially for affected vulnerable sectors, and DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) for assistance to displaced workers,” he said.

Focus of government agencies

Go, a former special assistant to President Duterte, said the law has already given the necessary authority and flexibility to the government to utilize the funds as deemed necessary to respond and address the growing threats of COVID-19 and the economic impact that comes with it.

He reminded concerned agencies to fulfill their mandates and act swiftly in this time of crisis to make sure that the assistance from government reaches the poorest of the poor and those who need government attention the most.

“Tulad sa Department of Agriculture (DA), gawin natin ang lahat para masigurong walang magugutom na Pilipino. Make sure we have sufficient supply of food… Sa Department of Trade and Industry, please ensure the unhampered movement of basic goods and necessities,” Go reiterated.

(Like the DA, we must ensure that no Filipino goes hungry.)

Go said the focus of government agencies should be on the jobless and those without savings.

“Tutukan natin ang mga vulnerable groups, tulad ng senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), at indigent indigenous peoples,” he said.

(We should focus on the vulnerable groups such as senior citizens, PWDs, and indigent indigenous peoples.)

“Alalayan rin natin ang mga displaced at informal economy workers – mga vendors at public utility vehicle drivers, tulad ng mga namamasada ng taxi, tricycle, bus, jeep, at iba pa.

“Pati na rin po ang mga trisikad, pedikab, habal-habal, at mga nagtatrabaho sa transportation network vehicle services o TNVS, katulad ng Grab, Angkas, Joyride.

“Lalong lalo na po ang mga kababayan natin na ‘isang kahig, isang tuka’ o ‘no work, no pay’ – mga daily wage earners na kinailangang tumigil sa pagtatrabaho para maging ligtas mula sa pagkalat ng sakit na ito,” he added.

(We should also help the displaced and informal economy workers- the vendors, public utility vehicle drivers, tricycle and pedicab drivers, habal-habal and TNVS workers such as Grab, Angkas and Joyride. And our countrymen in no-work-no-pay situations, and the daily wage earners who stopped working so that they would be safe from the spread of COVID-19.)

Citing the burden placed on Filipinos under the enhanced quarantine measures, Go said it is the responsibility of the government to secure and sustain their needs as their lives grind to a halt.

Budget for DOLE programs

Meanwhile, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has requested for the release of budget amounting to P2.84 billion for the benefit of displaced workers through DOLE.

The funds for DOLE are intended “to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 among affected private sector employees who have no or insufficient leave credits and are required to undergo community quarantine, among others.”

Go also said that as the country continues to fight and control the transmission of COVID-19, government must take care of poor Filipinos who are becoming hungry and restless.

Over 85 percent of DBM’s requested fund that will be given to DOLE will be allotted for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay Para sa Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers and Government Internship Program (TUPAD-GIP).

TUPAD is a community-based package of assistance at the municipality or barangay level that provides emergency employment for displaced workers, underemployed, and seasonal workers, for a minimum period of ten days but not to exceed 30 days, depending on the nature of the work to be performed.

On the other hand, GIP provides opportunities for young workers to serve the general public in government agencies or entities’ projects and programs at the national and local level.

As a legislator, Go said he would also closely monitor the provision of cash and food aid to low-income Filipino families as part of the Social Amelioration Program stated in the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.

Go said it is his duty to scrutinize how the Executive branch spends the funds Congress allowed to be used to combat COVID-19.

“Every single peso has to be accounted for,” he added.