Metro Manila, Philippines – Thirteen House committees will convene on April 8 to discuss responses to the Middle East crisis, including another possible “bayanihan” law – a measure passed during the COVID-19 pandemic, a lawmaker said on Tuesday, March 31.
In a press briefing, Marikina 2nd district Rep. Miro Quimbo, who chairs the committee on ways and means, said while nothing has been finalized, a “bayanihan” bill with “long needed” reforms would likely be passed.
“But unlike past bayanihans, it’s not just going to be a way to target direct subsidies to those who are in need…The opportunity is already here for us to be able to implement long-needed reforms na nagkakaroon ng malalim resistance dati [where there was resistance],” he told reporters.
In 2020, two “bayanihan” laws were passed during the Duterte administration as part of economic recovery measures during the pandemic.
Quimbo said the proposed legislation would fix the distribution system in providing direct subsidies, in particular to the transport sector largely hit by surging fuel costs.
He said there is an absence of a “well targeted” and an electronic subsidy program.
Quimbo noted that cash assistance would just be a “small portion” of the measure that House Speaker Bojie Dy is pushing.
“What he wants is a comprehensive way to address this so the country is more resilient pagdating sa crisis, pagdating sa langis [when it comes to oil cris] So how do we get out of oil dependence?” Quimbo said.
“Marami tayong renewable source of energy in the Philippines, whether it’s geothermal, hydro. Nandiyan siya. Kailangan lang natin siyang balangkasin and then kung anong kailangan ng executive para ma-encourage ito,” he added.
[Translation: We have many renewable energy sources in the Philippines, such as geothermal and hydro. They’re already there. We just need to develop a clear plan and determine what the executive branch needs to encourage their use.]
No loans
When asked if the government would need to resort to loans in carrying out the proposal, Quimbo said this might not be needed.
“The government now has enough cash to be able to sustain a program that can help control inflation. So today, ang cash position ng gobyerno, hindi alam ng marami.
[Others might not know about the government’s cash position] We are actually net positive for the first quarter. We have been able to collect money double than what was accomplished in the first quarter of 2025,” he said.
Quimbo said lawmakers may also look at new funding sources, including the windfall from the value added tax collection.
“Pangalawa, mayroon tayong windfall dyan…[Secondly we also have windfall here] The BSP (Bangso Sentral ng Pilipinas) has been defending the peso in the last several weeks. So the government has been selling its government reserves,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sen. Loren Legarda earlier said she plans to file a bill called the “Bayanihan Power to the People” to come up with intervention on some issues like the lack of direct consumer price protection and the continued use of replacement cost pricing by oil companies.
Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, chairman of the agriculture committee, said his office is also drafting a proposed supplemental budget law similar to the Bayanihan Act, which could include a suspension of loan and interest payment collections.
