Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go urged more Filipinos living in Metro Manila to avail of the “Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa” (BP2) program.
Go said since pandemic-induced lockdowns were imposed last year, more Filipinos turned to the BP2 program in hopes of having a fresh start in the provinces.
“Nung panahon ng lockdown, napakadaming kababayan natin ang naipit sa Maynila. Kawawang-kawawa po, minsan nasa bangketa na lamang po, yung ibang construction worker, hindi nakakauwi (During the lockdown, many of our countrymen were stuck in Manila. It’s pity to see them on the sidewalk. Construction workers can’t even go home),” he said in a speech on Dec. 16 at the BP2 Depot in Quezon City where he visited the latest family-beneficiaries bound for Zamboanga del Norte.
Go said the pandemic paved the way to strengthen the government’s resolve to push for the BP2 program and ensure that state agencies are all hands on deck in ensuring the continuous improvement of economies and quality of life in the provinces through BP2.
“Sa probinsya natin, andyan ang mga puno, presko yung hangin. At tuwing meron tayong problema, meron tayong matakbuhan dahil ang ating mga kapitbahay, mga kamag-anak natin (In the provinces, there are trees and the air is fresh. Whenever we have problems, we can turn to our neighbors, who are also our relatives),” he said.
Go said the program has already helped thousands of Filipinos in the last months and has provided hope for a better future to Filipinos looking for a reboot back home.
“Sino man ang gustong bumalik ng probinsya, bigyan ho natin ng pagkakataong tulungan natin. Sa probinsya, meron tayong matatakbuhan (We want to help those who want to go home to the province. There, we have families looking out for us),” he said.
Institutionalized under Executive Order 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.
Government agencies guide the beneficiaries throughout this transition by providing additional support and incentives on transportation, livelihood, family needs, subsistence, education, housing, and others.
Source: Philippines News Agency
