GOVERNOR Ralph DLG Torres on Tuesday sent to the Legislature his Executive Order No. 2021-18, which renews Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig’s authority to reprogram or transfer funds from any department, agency, office, board, commission, corporation, instrumentality or other entity of any branch of government to meet the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The governor states that meeting the Covid-19 threat requires a “whole of government” approach such as what the government utilizes in responding to and recovering from typhoons.
He said this requires the utilization or potential utilization of all government agencies, personnel, facilities, equipment and other resources as necessary to respond to the Covid-19 threat.
He also noted that the pandemic “has brought our tourism industry to a standstill, it has depressed economic activity and drastically reduced tax revenue. Such a reduction in revenue jeopardizes the government’s ability to meet the Covid-19 threat by limiting the government’s ability to utilize all necessary personnel, facilities and equipment due to lack of funds.”
Renewing the Finance secretary’s authority to reprogram funds, the governor said, “is a reasonably necessary response in order to ensure that the government is able to meet the Covid-19 threat.”
Under the executive order, all powers, duties and responsibilities embodied in the executive order are “hereby renewed and shall thus continue for an additional 30 days.” This renewal takes effect immediately and will remain in effect for 30 days from the effective date of the executive order, which was on Aug. 18, 2021.
David DLG Atalig
