HOMEBOUND. Three families composed of 12 individuals are on the bus bound for Zambales province as they leave Metro Manila for good on Friday (March 18, 2022). They are beneficiaries of the "Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa" program that aims to decongest the National Capital Region while helping hard-up families restart their lives with financial and livelihood assistance. (PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)
MANILA – Jesseil Villamor’s pandemic experience has been an oft-repeated story for the past two years.
Her husband, a construction worker, was affected by the series of lockdowns due to a drastic spike in Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila last year.
Although they were getting relief and cash assistance from the government, Villamor said they were not enough to sustain their daily expenses and the needs of their children.
It came to a point that her in-laws from Zambales were supporting them financially to pay for rentals and utility bills.
They did not have second thoughts when they learned of the national government’s "Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa" (BP2) program.
“Gawa nga po ng pandemic, grabe pong hirap namin kaya nung nalaman namin na may Balik Probinsya, nag-apply kami. Nagbakasakali lang po na palarin (We really struggled a lot because of the pandemic so when we heard that there is a Balik Probinsya program, we immediately applied for it. We tried our luck),” Villamor said.
The Villamors are among the three families, composed of 12 individuals, who returned home to Zambales on Friday through BP2.
The program has already facilitated the permanent relocation of 666 beneficiaries to different provinces nationwide since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic two years ago.
On Thursday, the beneficiaries went through dispatch proceedings, including registration, orientation, evaluation, health assessment, and swab testing to make sure they are not infected with Covid-19 when they travel back to their hometowns.
Villamor said going home to Zambales for good is the most practical choice.
She vowed to maximize the assistance and thanked the BP2 program for giving them another hope for a fresh start.
“Sana po magtuluy-tuloy pa [ang BP2 program]. Kahit iba na yung presidente sana ituloy nila para mas makatulong (I wish the BP2 program will continue. I hope the next president will pursue this program to help more),” Villamor said.
The whole-of-government approach of the BP2 program aims to balance development within the countryside and decongest highly urbanized areas in Metro Manila.
Qualified beneficiaries are initially entitled to transportation, cash assistance, and livelihood opportunities.
The Office of the President, National Housing Authority, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Department of Labor and Employment, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, and the receiving local government units, as well as the private sector, work together to make sure that BP2 beneficiaries will be provided with sustainable assistance.
The government also introduced a rationalized system of fiscal incentives for export-oriented and domestic-oriented enterprises, as well as support for micro, small and medium enterprises.
In a video message, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go lauded the national government agencies for another successful dispatch of BP2 beneficiaries and ensuring their welfare throughout the pre-departure process.
Go, the brains behind the program, said there will be more assistance for the beneficiaries until they can adjust to their new lives in the provinces.
“This successful dispatch and the entire BP2 program form part of the national government’s strategy to encourage countryside development and provide hope for a better future to Filipinos,” Go said, as he wished the beneficiaries a safe trip and assured them of the government's continued support as they resettle and start anew back in their hometowns.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No. 114, on May 6, 2020, which institutionalized the Balik Probinsya program.
The EO followed Go’s Senate Resolution No. 380, which the Senate adopted in the same month.
Those who wish to avail of the BP2 program may visit https://balikprobinsya.ph/ or call 0919-0657896 and 0919-0692530. (PNA)
