House earmarks P300 million aid for private school teachers

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has earmarked P300 million in financial assistance to private school teachers and personnel affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero said the budget allocation, which he proposed, has been included in the P162-billion Bayanihan to Recover As One Act or Bayanihan 2, which the chamber approved on second reading last week.

“We will provide one-time assistance for employees in private schools who, like most of our workers, have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Many of these employees have been without jobs and income as well,” explained the 1-Pacman party-list representative who presided over the plenary session during approval.

HB 6953 provides for P300 million in subsidies for personnel of private tertiary education institutions and part-time personnel of state universities and colleges.

This measure, which will provide cash aid of P5,000 to P8,000 to displaced private school teachers and personnel, is one of the new features in the Bayanihan 2 bill, which was not present in the Bayanihan 1 law.

Romero, an economist and businessman, pointed out that private school teachers would continue to be without income until classes open in August, while public school teachers still have regular pay from the government.

The ranking lawmaker said the Department of Labor and Employment and private schools could be asked to identify potential beneficiaries.

Another House leader, Deputy Speaker LRay Villafuerte, revealed that the Lower House is set to pass Bayanihan 2 on third and final reading tomorrow.

He said the speedy approval of the bill is expected after leaders of the different political parties and party-list groups signed a Manifesto of Unity committing its plenary passage at the soonest time possible.

“Bayanihan 2 will give continued special powers to the President to beat the pandemic which, according to the WHO (World Health Organization), has reached a ‘dangerous’ stage of accelerated spread as governments across the world start relaxing mobility restrictions and reopening their economies,” the Camarines Sur lawmaker stressed.

HB 6953 seeks to allocate an additional P162 billion in funds for continuation of COVID-19 response measures – in addition to the P275-billion funding under Republic Act 11469 or Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, which was enacted last March and expired last June.

It provides P10 billion for expanded testing, P10 billion for additional PhilHealth coverage, P10.5 billion for hiring of more healthcare workers and P4 billion for construction of quarantine and isolation facilities.

Also, P20 billion will be allotted for the implementation of cash-for-work program and the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD), P51 billion for infusion of capital to government financial institutions, P20 billion support to the agriculture sector, P10 billion for programs for transport sector and P10 billion to finance DOT programs to assist impacted businesses in the tourism industry.