THE PROVINCIAL government of Antique has requested the release of a PHP167.55-million financial grant under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Juliana Cepe, head of the Antique Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), said in an interview Friday the provincial board approved on Thursday the proposal of the Provincial Development Council (PDC) chaired by Governor Rhodora Cadiao to request the release of the funds.
“We are grateful to the provincial board that they studied well the proposal and had approved it during their session yesterday, October 29,” she said.
She said the PHP167,550,000 request is in accordance with the DBM Circular 128 dated Sept. 17, 2020.
The circular sets the guidelines on the release and use of the Local Government Support Fund for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) financial assistance to the local government units (LGUs) in the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Republic Act Number 11494.
“Of the total funding, the biggest amount of PHP34 million will be allocated as livelihood assistance to be extended to the displaced workers,” Cepe said.
She said there are several displaced workers who are returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs), locally stranded individuals (LSIs), and sugar migrants who came home due to Covid-19.
She also said they had allocated the least PHP400,000 for the fuel and lubricant of vehicles used to transport Covid-19 front-liners and other government employees.
“With the approval of the provincial board of the requested Bayanihan grant, we are now preparing to send it to the DBM because the deadline of submission is not later than October 31,” she said.
She said after their submission, they expect the DBM to approve it so that it could be used to help Antiqueños affected by Covid-19.
Cepe also said although the Covid-19 active cases in Antique is not really high with only seven active cases as of October 29, the provincial government is not being complacent.
“We still need the assistance so that we could take preventive measures against Covid-19 and that we have also displaced province mates needing aid,” she said. (By Annabel Consuelo Petinglay)
