B2P RECIPIENTS. Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program (B2P) beneficiaries bound for Agusan del Sur receive an orientation from BP2 personnel on Thursday (Oct. 21, 2021). The beneficiaries are expected to depart Manila on October 22. (PNA photo by Robert Alfiler) MANILA - Two more families composed of seven persons have been added to the roster of beneficiaries of the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program (BP2) amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. The new recipients arrived at the BP2 Depot on Agham Road in Quezon City early Thursday to undergo orientation, as well as health and security procedures, before they are allowed to return to Agusan del Sur. They are scheduled to depart Manila on Friday. All the beneficiaries, four of whom are minors, underwent reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR) tests to ensure that they are not infected with Covid-19. During the orientation, they were told that if one family member yields a positive result, the whole family would not be able to travel and would be immediately transferred to an isolation facility. The B2P beneficiaries recounted the difficulties of living in Metro Manila, especially during the pandemic that greatly affected their source of livelihood. They said the BP2 program gives them another chance to start a new life in their home province. "Nagpapasalamat talaga ako sa Balik Probinsya na programa. Matagal ko na po talaga gusto na makauwi kami ng probinsya. Sobrang hirap po dito (I am grateful for the Balik Probinsya program. I have long wanted to return to the province with my family because life here in Metro Manila is so difficult)," Evelyn Padilla said in an interview. The Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program is a flagship program of the Duterte administration that aims to give Filipinos hope for a better future through equity in resources throughout the country that will boost countryside development. The program is geared towards addressing Metro Manila's congestion by encouraging people, especially informal settlers, to return to their home provinces and assist them in this transition with support and incentives on transportation, livelihood, housing, subsistence, and education, among others. (PNA) }