DOLE-Bicol Regional Director Ma. Zenaida A. Angara-Campita (File photo) LEGAZPI CITY - A total of 14 Balik-Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program (BP2) beneficiaries recently received Kabuhayan Starter Kits (DKSK) from the Department of Labor and Employment in Bicol (DOLE-5) that are expected to help them improve their livelihood. In an interview on Tuesday, Johana Vi Gasga, DOLE-5 spokesperson, said the BP2 beneficiaries were endorsed to DOLE by the National Housing Authority (NHA) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and have undergone a thorough evaluation to determine their eligibility. "Over PHP309,156.21 worth of starter packs was granted to the chosen beneficiaries which include six beneficiaries from Batch 1 and another eight beneficiaries from Batch 2 to start their business ventures," she said. Gasga said the BP2 program aims to help address the congestion in Metro Manila by encouraging those who belong to the informal and marginalized sectors to return to their home provinces. DOLE-5, through its Camarines Sur Provincial Office (CSPO), facilitated the distribution of livelihood starter kits to the 14 BP2 beneficiaries. Ma. Zenaida A. Angara-Campita, DOLE-5 director, encouraged all the beneficiaries to sustain their new livelihood and begin life anew through the starter kits that they received. "The Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program aims to provide hope for a better future to Filipinos through equity in resources throughout the country that will boost countryside development," she said. (PNA) }