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Bayanihan funds to carry over to 2021: Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto states that only the emergency powers granted under the Bayanihan law are set to expire when Congress adjourns on December 19, 2020, and not the funding allocated to fund the COVID-19 response. During the hybrid plenary session Monday, November 23, 2020, Recto said he believes that the emergency powers granted to the president will expire when Congress is no longer in session, but the funding can be carried over to 2021. “Just a final statement on this, by having that interpretation, it is good for the executive also. It allows government to have the leeway. Assuming they are unable to spend the money this year, because it is a tall order to spend all of that. If I am not mistaken, the P13 billion is under the Bayanihan 2. There might be wastage if we will force them to spend everything within one month,” Recto said. (Screen grab/ Senate PRIB)