ON THEIR WAY HOME. The Cruz family loading their bags to a local government vehicle upon arrival at the Tacloban Airport on Friday (May 28, 2021). The family's matriarch Bellivalla persuaded her large family to settle in Leyte province due to the impacts of health crisis. (PNA photo by Sarwell Meniano)
TACLOBAN CITY - For 36 years, Bellivalla Cruz, 54, never entertained the idea of settling in her hometown in Leyte, Leyte until the health crisis shattered their lives in Quezon City, prompting their family to avail of the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) program.
On Friday, she, her husband, nine children, and six grandchildren arrived at the Tacloban Airport as beneficiaries of the government’s BP2, a program meant to decongest the National Capital Region and create more economic opportunities in the countryside.
“We have been applying for Balik Probinsya since last year because life in Metro Manila has been very difficult because of these movement restrictions. We want to start a new life here. We have no plans to go back to the NCR since we have already sold all that we had,” said the grandmother, few minutes after disembarking from the Philippine Airlines flight.
Tomas, her 60-year-old husband, who has been suffering from partial hearing loss, used to earn PHP1,500 daily by operating a makeshift welding shop along the sidewalk in Tatalon St., Quezon City before the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Through BP2, the family availed the free airfare, free meals before boarding and upon arrival, food packs, and health kits. The local government picked up the family at the city’s airport here for a 79-kilometer trip back to their family's hometown.
“Our plan is to set up a welding shop in the province and plant crops in a piece of land we inherited from my parents. Our children and grandchildren will continue their schooling in Leyte,” Bellivalla told the Philippine News Agency.
The family is just one of the 55 beneficiaries of BP2 who arrived in Leyte on Friday as the national government resumed the program implementation.
Before heading to Leyte, the recipients underwent dispatch procedures that included Covid-19 swab tests at the BP2 Depot in Quezon City on Thursday.
Officials from the Leyte provincial government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Labor and Employment, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and National Housing Authority welcomed the beneficiaries.
Institutionalized under Executive Order (EO) No. 114, series of 2020, the BP2 program is an initiative of the national government created to address the congestion in Metro Manila’s urban areas.
The program encourages the public, especially those in informal settlements, to return to their home provinces and guide them throughout this transition by providing additional support and incentives on transportation, livelihood, family needs, subsistence, education, housing, and others.
NEDA Eastern Visayas regional director Bonifacio Uy, the BP2 committee vice-chairperson in the region, has welcomed the resumption of BP2 as government agencies are more prepared to address the needs of returning residents.
“The program will not just decongest Metro Manila, but also promote the development of industries in the region by matching the skills of returning residents and the needs of local industries,” Uy said in a phone interview.
The NEDA official said programs meant for BP2 beneficiaries are aligned with the region’s development priorities such as empowerment of local industries, food security and agricultural productivity, social welfare, health, employment, and infrastructure development.
The BP2 committee has been asking local governments to identify projects and activities that support BP2 objectives, ensure convergence of all local efforts, facilitate and assist in the effective implementation of projects, align local projects with national priorities, ensure proper handling and management of local investment incentives, and monitor program implementation in their areas. (PNA)
