CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Northern Mindanao (DSWD-10) released PHP17,165,994 worth of support packages to 209 families under the Balik-Probinsya Bagong Pag-Asa Program (BP2P) for the first half of the year.
In a statement Tuesday, DSWD-10 said the one-time BP2P cash assistance included a Transitory Family Support Package and Livelihood Settlement Grant to provide for the basic needs and ensure continuity of economic activities of the beneficiaries.
“Depending on the assessment, each family received not more than PHP100,000 from the DSWD, subject to proper liquidation of expenses. Before the payout, families underwent capability building with DSWD to manage their financial grants,” the agency said.
DSWD-10 said it closely coordinates with local government units to identify and endorse eligible families who have settled back in their hometowns during the height of the pandemic.
Mary Love Labis, one of the BP2P beneficiaries from Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte, said she will use the financial support by starting a new livelihood.
“We have been used to work (in Metro Manila), now we will strive to earn a living by putting up a (small) business as a practice for a new life,” she said in the vernacular.
Another beneficiary, Mark Anthony Bacus, who returned with his family in Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental, said he plans to put a food shop in his barangay.
“This (program) brought me hope not only for our family but also for aiming to progress,” he said.
The BP2P benefits low-income individuals and families from Metro Manila and highly urbanized cities who are affected by government projects and activities; eviction and demolitions allowed by the law; and families living on the street, including those living in unsafe dwelling places.
It also includes beneficiaries impacted by human-induced, or natural hazards or disasters, including health hazards; loss of a job or income opportunities; disadvantaged, vulnerable, or marginalized individuals or families; and other situations deemed acceptable and valid based on the assessment of the social worker.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No. 114, s. 2020 that institutionalized the BP2P as a pillar of balanced regional development.
DSWD-10 said it will help 304 families under Batch 2 in the second half of the year. (PNA)
