‘Balik Probinsya’ program brings home 15 families

By Easter Anne Doza

Fifteen families or 59 individuals came back home to the province through the “Balik Probinsya Bagong Pag-asa (BP2)” program of the national government.

Department of Social Welfare and Development, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Philippine Information Agency and the National Housing Authority personnel were at the Bacolod-Silay Airport, June 2, to welcome the beneficiary- families and fetched them for proper turn-over to their respective local government units.

Executive Order No. 114 signed May 6, 2020 institutionalizes the BP2 program as a pillar of balanced regional development which in part, the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 espouses the strategies of spatial development which aims to decongest the National Capital Region and direct growth to key centers throughout the country, improve linkages by connecting rural areas to growth centers or strengthening urban-rural linkages, and make growth more inclusive by creating more opportunities for production and employment in the lagging regions, thereby reducing poverty.

Donna Mosquiera and husband Teresito, with five children and practically all of their belongings in tow, avail of the government’s Balik Probinsya Bagong Pag-asa Program (BP2) which brings eligible Filipinos wanting to go back home to their provinces to start life anew in an effort to decongest the urban communities.

Mosquiera, who left Barangay Ayungon in La Carlota City for Manila when she was just 19 years old to work as a ‘yaya’ (nanny), now returns home through the BP2 rid of the fear that her children will end up as ‘rugby boys or girls’, a common sight in their place in Muntinlupa City.

“We were supposed to go to Samar where my husband is from, but we were not accepted.  Here, we accepted because I have a sister here in La Carlota since we already lost our parents,” Mosquiera said, adding that it was only last week that they were informed by their 4Ps City Link of the Balik Probinsya program.

Local government units with BP2 arrivals, June 2, include Bacolod City, Ilog, E.B. Magalona, Hinoba-an, Binalbagan, Sagay, Calatrava, San Carlos, Silay, La Castellana, and La Carlota .

Mosquiera only wished that her five children will be able to go to school as she looks forward to the livelihood opportunity intended for her as part of the BP2 program. (PIA)