HOMEBOUND. Beneficiaries of the “Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-Asa” Program undergo dispatch procedures at the BP2 depot on Agham Road, Quezon City on Monday (May 30, 2022). Thirteen families are going home to various provinces in Visayas and Mindanao in the next two days. (PNA photos by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)
MANILA – After two years of waiting, Yolanda Estrada is going home to Misamis Oriental, among the 49 individuals given a fresh start by the “Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag asa” (BP2) program.
On Monday, the latest beneficiaries composed of 13 families underwent dispatch procedures at the BP2 depot on Agham Road, Quezon City, including orientation and coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) swab tests.
The 46-year-old Estrada is travelling with her husband, Joseph, 49, and their three children aged 11, 7 and 6.
"Sa wakas nabigyan din kami ng schedule. Matagal namin hinintay 'to (Finally, we are given a schedule. We waited for this for so long)," said Estrada, who applied for the BP2 program in 2020, the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Sana tulad namin, marami pang matulungan ang Balik Probinsya. Salamat talaga (I wish that like us, Balik Probinsya will be able to help many more. Thank you so much)," she told the Philippine News Agency.
The 11 beneficiaries bound for Agusan del Sur, Iligan, Lanao del Norte, Bukidnon, and Cagayan de Oro will leave Tuesday.
On Wednesday, it will be the turn of the remaining 38 who will go home to Cebu, Bohol, Negros Occidental, and Iloilo.
The BP2 is a program of the national government aimed to address congestion in Metro Manila by encouraging return to the provinces, armed with financial and livelihood aid. (PNA)
