THE Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) has called on the government to use the unspent Bayanihan fund to help the poor 'get back on their feet'.

According to Pamalakaya, the P18 billion under Bayanihan 2 is crucial for poor Filipinos in the face of the continuing economic crisis brought about by the pandemic and what it calls "insufficient" government response.

The group criticized not only government's "snail-paced implementation of pandemic response program" but also that a huge chunk of its funds was left unspent and lapsed to the expiry of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act last June 30.

"The unspent funds of the Bayanihan 2 are a reflection not only of government's incompetence but also its abandonment of responsibility to the Filipinos amid a crisis, which is tantamount to criminal negligence," Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya National Chairperson was quoted in a statement as saying. "This is both infuriating and disheartening given the fact that assisting the poor Filipinos in these hard times is the primary responsibility of the government."

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