By Erchel Sheen Gabonada June 12, 2020 CALABARZON-The Batch two of the Beneficiaries of “Balik probinsya Bagong pagasa program” (BP2) of...
June 12, 2020
CALABARZON-The Batch two of the Beneficiaries of “Balik probinsya Bagong pagasa program” (BP2) of the government was about to send off to their respective provinces but was suspended in line with the directive of Marcelino Escalada Jr. the General Manager of National Housing Authority (NHA) and also the executive director of the balik probinsya council to prioritize stranded Filipinos in Metro Manila, declared on Thursday, June 11, 2020.
Escalada, on the other hand, gave an emphasis of the lockdown effect on Luzon in March that created a thousand of migrants and non-Metro Manila residents stranded in Metro Manila for months now saying that the needs of these stranded persons were more urgent at this moment. The people who don’t have homes and enough capacity to survive here in metro manila are the considerations of Escalada to the suspension of Balik Probinsya program. Instead, he decided to give way to the stranded people to send them home from their respective provinces.
The said program will resume after a month, which will resume at July. Addition to this, there will be adjustments on the requirements for the beneficiaries before they can step into their respective provinces, there must be an officiated statement and communication from the provincial governors and municipal mayors that they are ready to accept their respective balik probinsya beneficiaries.
The number of enrollee for balik probinsya program runs at 79,000, not adding the number of walk-in and on site registrants. According to Assistant Secretary Jonji Gonzales of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas stated in a segment of Network Briefing News With Secretary Andanar. He also added that at the end of the year 20,000 people will be sent off back to their provinces and at the end of President Duterte’s term, there will be 200,000 people who will be going back to their provinces.
Secretary Silvestre Bello, III of the Department of Labor and Employment said in an interview that the process of Overseas Filipino Workers for this program will be also benefited by the program.
As of this time, 112 beneficiaries were sent home to Leyte province. These are the first batch of the program Balik probinsya bagong pag asa by President Rodrigo “Roa” Duterte and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go. This program is a voluntary action by anybody living in manila to go back to their respective provinces especially to those who are living in manila for 10 years, 15 years and informal settlers in the Metro Manila Region. Senator Bong Go also encourages the people to move back as the government will give assistance of up to 15,000 pesos for start-up. This program was intended for population decrease of the National Capital Region (NCR) because of the increase of the Corona Virus Cases due to over population.
Long time ago, people in the provinces were fantasized by the beauty and opportunity of Metro Manila because of this, many probisyanos decided to settle in Manila for a chance of better ike and education. As the years go by, they realized that the province life is much better than living in the high rise buildings of Manila as President Duterte said.
The program’s advocacy is not just to bring back people, but build new provinces for the entire Philippines.
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