Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go has urged Filipinos to benefit from the livelihood support initiative of “Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa” (BP2) program.
The BP2 program has been created by the national government to address the congestion in Metro Manila’s urban areas.
The programme has been created by the government agencies to guide the beneficiaries throughout this “transition by providing additional support and incentives on transportation, livelihood, family needs, subsistence, education, housing, and others.”
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He said after the pandemic-induced lockdowns was imposed last year more Filipinos turned to the BP2 program. Go said that they hope 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.
He was speaking at the BP2 Depot in Quezon City where he visited the latest family-beneficiaries bound for Zamboanga del Norte.
He said the pandemic paved the “way to strengthen the government’s resolve to push for the BP2 program” adding that this was to “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.”
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“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.
According to Go 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.
