QUEZON City Rep. Alfred Vargas on Monday said the approval by two House committees of a consolidated version of the Bayanihan 3 bill assures millions of Filipinos of economic and social assistance during the pandemic.

“With the Bayanihan 3 approved at the committee level, and with the full backing of the House members, I am very optimistic, as chair of the House Social Services Committee, that we will be able to extend to our people the economic and social support that they urgently need during this period of uncertainty,” said Vargas, chairman of the House committee on social services.

The consolidated bill was approved during a joint hearing of the Vargas committee and the House committee on economic affairs last Friday.

It was approved by the House committee on ways and means on Monday and now goes to the House committee on appropriations.

“Kasabay ng pagbibigay ng panibagong sigla sa ating ekonomiya, binibigyan din natin ng pag-asa ang ating mga kababayan na makaahon mula sa hirap,” he added.

Vargas said he is confident that the approval of the measure will be a priority of the House once it reconvenes on May 16.

A Technical Working Group (TWG) had consolidated all related bills into the Bayanihan 3 bill, titled “An Act Providing for Additional Mechanisms to Bolster the Resiliency of the Philippine Economy and Providing Funds Therefore,” or the proposed “Bayanihan to Arise as One” Act.

Vargas cited several provisions in the consolidated bill which he said addresses the needs of affected sectors, particularly workers who have lost their jobs, and vulnerable sectors in need of government aid.

According to Vargas, the consolidated bill provides several types of assistance, among them, direct emergency and social amelioration of P1,000 for all Filipinos for the first month, and another P1,000 within three months.

The bill also provides livelihood assistance through an additional P12 billion for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, P8 billion in wage subsidies under the Small Business Wage Subsidy (SBWS) program of the Department of Finance (DoF), P10 billion in assistance for displaced workers through the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE)

The bill also suspends the collection of amortization payments for those living in government housing programs, and imposes a “no eviction or demolition policy” until the State of Public Health Emergency declared by the national government is lifted.

Vargas added that the bill offers an array of assistance to ensure food security and provide for the health needs of citizens. This includes the allocation of P3 billion for the Medical Assistance for Indigents Program (MAIP) of the Department of Health (DOH), free swab tests for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), and allowing the use of private sector facilities for public health needs during the pandemic.

The bill also allocates P54.6 billion for the Pension and Gratuity Fund of Military Uniformed Personnel, and P5.6 billion for the information technology needs of the Department of Education (DepEd).