Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 5) — Almost 200 lawmakers from the House of Representatives have already agreed to donate their full salary for the month of May to help the government address the coronavirus disease.
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano made the announcement Saturday, a day after majority of Cabinet members pledged to donate 75 percent of their salaries to government programs aimed at containing COVID-19.
“Almost 200 congressmen already will donate our whole sweldo ng [salary for] May, the initial target is ₱50 million,” Cayetano said in a virtual presser.
He added that they are hoping to even reach ₱100 million by expanding the initiative to their personal networks.
“I think nasa mahigit ₱40 million na po tayo ngayon. So ‘pag umabot ng ₱50 million, mananawagan din kami sa mga personal din naming kaibigan if we can get 100 people to donate ₱500,000 or 50 people to donate a million kasama ‘yung aming sweldo,” Cayetano said.
[Translation: I think we have already reached more than ₱40 million now. So if we get to raise ₱50 million, we will also call on our friends if we can get 100 people to donate ₱500,000 each or 50 people to donate a million including our salaries.]
The newly-created Defeat COVID-19 Committee in the lower chamber is set to hold a hearing this Wednesday to discuss government efforts on the pandemic.
Cayetano said the hearing will help congressmen deliberate where to allocate the funds that they are raising.
“Doon na rin pag-uusapan kung after hearing from the DOH (Department of Health) and DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), kung saan sila dapat i-spend...we want to use the money where it will be most effective,” he said.
[Translation: We will tackle in the hearing with the DOH and DSWD where the funds will be spent…we want to use the money where it will be most effective.]
Inter-Agency Task Force spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said that most of the Cabinet members will voluntarily give 75 percent of their monthly pay to help address the crisis.
Under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, President Rodrigo Dutere is given additional powers to act on the pandemic, including the appropriate allocation of the hefty ₱275 billion budget granted to him while the country is under a state of emergency.
The Philippines has 3,094 total COVID-19 cases to date with 144 deaths and 57 recoveries.
