The Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program (BP2P) has not only facilitated the successful reintegration of family beneficiaries into their provinces but also paved the way for the formation of thriving associations of family beneficiaries, which serves as a primary support group among the members.

This significant development demonstrates how far the program has gone since its implementation in 2021, especially in ensuring that the beneficiaries will have a stable source of income in their resettlements to encourage them to stay permanently and never return to cities to look for employment.

This milestone is among the significant gains being celebrated at the first-ever BP2P Family Congress in the country, held last September 28-29 at Malagos Garden Resort in Davao City.

Mindug shared that it was her idea to form an association with the other beneficiaries in her municipality, saying the program is special to her.

She said that she personally reached out to all BP2P beneficiaries in New Corella, gathered them, and encouraged them to form a group to have a unified unit of BP2P beneficiaries in her town, which eventually became an association.

“We formed the association because we want to continue and strengthen our bond that we have created. Because this only happens once in a lifetime that the program gathers us in one place from different barangays,” she shared, adding, “BP2P is really like a second family to me.”

Since then, Mindug has seen the strong bonds among them, evident in the collaboration and sense of community among their members.

She added that the Department of Agriculture has also provided them with livelihood assistance, such as animal-raising training, seedlings, fertilizers, farming tools, and incubators.

The New Corella BP2 Livelihood Association consists of 18 family beneficiaries from different barangays in New Corella.

The members came from highly urbanized cities in Luzon, General Santos City, Davao City, and Panabo City, while five of them came from Metro Manila.

Currently, all of them have a stable source of income and are successful in their livelihoods. Some venture into hog raising, native chicken production, and hito farming, while others have businesses like sari-sari stores, street foods, piso wifi, and frozen products.

This was why she was thankful that her family was included in the BP2P program, which had a big impact on her life.

Mindug recalled that before the program was introduced to them, they would only eat once a day.

“Pero pag-abot gyud sa BP2P, di na gyud mi magut-man (But when BP2P came, we didn't get hungry anymore),” she thankfully said.

Mindug and the rest of the members of the New Corella BP2 Livelihood Association are among the 11,715 families, or a total of 36,883 individuals, served by the program in the country since 2021.

Venus P. Aquino, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Government of the Philippines (GOP) Division Chief, said that of these beneficiaries, 6,220 families were already provided with the Transitory Family Support Package amounting to P50,000.

Currently, DSWD-XI is still accepting applicants, particularly from families who want to permanently resettle in rural areas.

Meanwhile, Aquino disclosed that 92.83% of the BP2P beneficiaries in the country opted to stay in their provinces, having active livelihoods and stable sources of income.

Those who returned to the urban areas were either due to permanent employment and business opportunities offered outside their provinces or because their children were studying in the cities, and some faced difficulties reintegrating into their provinces.

Aquino also revealed that as the program nears its third year of implementation, an assessment will be conducted, which will determine the future of the program.

“This is an intervention to answer whatever happens to BP2P. This Pag-abot will retain the program for continuous services and for funding, to have continuous service to our families and to the future families that want to settle back to their provinces in the future,” Aquino explained.

Pending the approval of the new program, the agency and its partner agencies will continue serving the family beneficiaries by linking them to other programs of the government, especially those who have already established associations. (ASO/PIA-XI)