By Charissa Luci-Atienza The beneficiaries of the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program (BP2) are not prevented from availing of assistance from other government agencies, a high-ranking official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has disclosed. Department of Social Welfare and Development (MANILA BULLETIN) DSWD Undersecretary Aimee Neri explained that unlike the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) recipients, Balik Probinsya enrollees can receive other forms of government assistance. "It does not prevent you from availing other assistance from other government agencies. This is quite different from the SAP na walang duplication (that there is no duplication)," she said in a media interview at the recent BP2 roll out in Quezon City. "Sa amin, kung pasok ka dito, you want to avail of the loan from DA (Department of Agriculture) gusto mong farmer, pero 'yung asawa mo nakuha pala ng DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) o DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) for employment, walang problema for as long as alam naming lahat kung saan sila puede. Ang aming goal dito ay ma-sustain 'yung survival sa province to prevent them from going back to Manila to seek for employment and livelihood (For us, if you are qualified, you want to avail of the loan for farmers from DA, but your spouse was tapped by the DPWH or DOLE for employment, there is no problem for as long as we know where they can be assisted. Our goal here is to sustain their survival in the province to prevent them from going back to Manila to seek for employment and livelihood.)," Neri said. She said the "whole-of-government" approach will be applied as far as the provisions of assistance to the beneficiaries are concerned. "In our partnership with DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) and DSWD, they can actually explore and avail of the other assistance from the other government ," she explained. She said the assistance will depend on the actual needs of the families and will be based on the "social preparation and assessment" that will be conducted by the DSWD. "Hindi naman tayo papayag na magfo-forum shopping sila just for nothing. Pag nag-avail sila ng DA, meaning to say, farmer ka so hindi mo kailangan ng assistance ng DSWD na tatayo ka ng carinderia, hindi naman puede na tatayo ka ng sari-sari store, farmer ka, sino naman magbabantay ng sari-sari store? (We will not allow them to resort to forum shopping just for nothing. If they avail of assistance from the DA, meaning to say, you're a farmer so you don't need the assistance of the DSWD that you will set up an eatery, you cannot set up a retail store if you are a farmer, because who will look after the retail store)?" Neri said. "Kaya nga tulong-tulong kami para malalaman na kada pamilya ito talaga need nila for this family to sustain. (That is why agencies are helping each other to determine the needs of each family to sustain them)." Neri noted that so far, they do not have "concrete guidelines" as to whether the beneficiaries who receive assistance from the DSWD would be prevented from getting aid from Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), DTI, and DA. She also noted that those BP2 families with children can be enrolled in the government's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) so that they can receive the monthly grants. Neri said the initial batch of at least 116 persons enrolled in the program will be given outright cash assistance of P5,000 as their transportation allowance. She said they are expected to receive family food packs (FFPs) from the DSWD upon their arrival in their province. "The DSWD will assess each for possible livelihood assistance which is equivalent to P15,000 as capital seed grant within 15 days. Prine-prepare or ina-assess ng DSWD kung fit ka ba for livelihood or for employment facilitation (The DSWD will prepare or assess if you're fit for livelihood or for employment facilitation)," she said. She said the master list will come from the National Housing Authority (NHA) and based on the list, the DSWD will conduct social preparation and assessment for assistance. The DSWD is one of the members of the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Council, which was created under Executive Order (EO) No. 114 to ensure "the whole-of-government action" on the implementation of the program. On May 6, 2020, President Duterte signed the order institutionalizing the implementation of the "Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program" to decongest Metro Manila and promote countryside development. The council is chaired by the Executive Secretary with the Socioeconomic Planning Secretary as vice chairperson. In the EO, President Duterte cited the need to institutionalize "a balanced regional development program to foster socially cohesive, resilient, and sustainable rural communities to reverse migration to the NCR (national capital region) and other congested metropolises, as well as to attain rural prosperity through equal distribution of wealth, resources, and opportunities." Covered by the program network are the empowerment of local industries, food security and agricultural productivity, social welfare, health, employment, and development of infrastructure.