Gov’t suspends “Balik Probinsiya” program

June 12, 2020

The government's "Balik Probinsiya, Bagong Pag-asa Program" has been suspended to prioritize assistance to stranded overseas Filipino workers, students and workers in Metro Manila, an official said on Thursday.

In the "Laging Handa" press briefing, National Housing Authority (NHA) general manager Marcelino Escalada Jr., executive director of the BP2 Council, said that "as a matter of urgency and importance," they would focus on "Hatid Tulong (Provision of Assistance)" to those stranded individuals who have "no enough capacity to finance their stay here in Metro Manila."

"Whereas, in Balik Probinsiya, (the people involved) have their own houses, either rented houses or owned houses, here in Manila," he said.

Escalada said they reached a decision to suspend the BP2 after President Rodrigo Duterte's "very clear instruction" to prioritize in sending home the stranded OFWs, construction workers, tourists and students in Metro Manila.

He said once there is available public transportation and the stranded individuals could go back to their provinces on their own, "the Balik Probinsiya will now take the second phase already in the succeeding rollouts and simultaneous rollouts to all of the provinces of their choice

."Since the launching of the BP2 last month, 112 individuals have availed of the program."And these were all bound for Candahug, Palo, Leyte," Escalada.

The BP2 aims to address Metro Manila's congested urban areas by encouraging people, especially informal settlers to return to their home provinces and assist them in this transition with support and incentives on transportation, family, livelihood, housing, subsistence and education, among others. Celerina Monte/DMS