The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) assures the Filipino people that it provides sufficient attention to the release of funds pursuant to Republic Act No. 11494 or the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act”.
Out of the P140-Billion worth of COVID-19 related interventions, the DBM has already released allotments amounting to P4.413-Billion pesos to the following Departments/Agencies:
| Department/Agency | Amount (in PhP) | Purpose |
| Department of the Interior and Local Government | 2,522,660,000.00 | Hiring and training of contract tracers |
| Office of Civil Defense | 855,190,418.00 | Construction and maintenance of isolation facilities including billings of hotels, food and transportation |
| Bureau of the Treasury for the Local Government Units | 215,476,750.00 | COVID-19 Local Government Support Fund |
| Department of Foreign Affairs | 820,000,000.00 | Assistance-to-Nationals Fund |
| Total | 4,413,327,168.00 |
These releases were charged against the certified amount of the Bureau of the Treasury pursuant to Section 4(ss) of RA No. 11494.
On the other hand, the release of funds for the following Departments/Agencies were already recommended to the Office of the President (OP):
| Department/Agency | Amount (in PhP) | Purpose |
| Department of Labor and Employment | 8,000,000,000.00 | COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program and Tulong Panghanapbuhay Para sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) Program |
| Department of Social Welfare and Development | 6,000,000,000.00 | Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and Sustainable Livelihood Program |
| Department of Agriculture | 11,632,000,000.00 | Implementation of the Plant, Plant, Plant Program |
| Department of Health | 20,575,952,000.00 | Health-related responses such as Human Resources for health, augmentation for operations of DOH hospitals, Special Risk Allowances, Actual Hazard Duty Pay, Free life insurance, accommodation, transportation and meals for health workers, and other compensation to public and private health workers, among others |
| Total | 46,207,952,000.00 |
The approval from OP was sought considering that the funding source will be the balance of pooled savings under RA No. 11469 consistent with Section 11 of RA No. 11494 and that the authority to use savings was granted by Congress to the President of the Philippines. The corresponding Special Allotment Release Orders (SAROs) will be released as soon as we receive the pertinent OP approvals.
As to the remaining balance of the allocated amounts, the DBM expects the respective Departments/Agencies to submit their corresponding budget requests, outlining the specific items of expenditures, targeted beneficiaries and expected outputs consistent with existing budgeting, accounting and auditing laws, rules and regulations and reflected through their respective Budget Execution Documents and Disbursement Programs. As soon as these requests are received, the DBM will immediately evaluate the same to ensure their alignment with the intention of RA No. 11494 and will recommend to the President the release of funds charged against the identified funding sources.
The DBM is likewise in close coordination with the Bureau of the Treasury to ensure that the funding sources identified under RA No. 11494 are readily available to support the allotments that the Department will issue to the respective Departments/Agencies. All allotments released pursuant to RA No. 11494 will be appropriately reported to Congress and the Commission on Audit, as well as to the general public through the DBM website.
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