Around P2.2 billion will be spent by the government for the implementation of the "Balik Probinsya, Bagong-Pag-asa" program under the proposed national budget for next year.
In his budget message to Congress, President Duterte said the Balik Probinsya program, that assists urban dwellers to relocate to the provinces, aims to decongest Metro Manila and promote rural development.
"The COVID-19 virus spreads more rapidly in overcrowded housing. Larger open spaces can help communities carry out emergency services and evacuation protocols when necessary,” Duterte said in a message on the proposed P4.506 trillion national budget for 2021 submitted to Congress last Tuesday.
"To address overcrowding and lack of open spaces, we will infuse some PhP2.2 billion for our Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program under budget of the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development)," he said.
According to the President, the relocation program would "support the decongestion of Metro Manila and adjacent urban cities, promotion of regional socioeconomic development, and establishment of mechanisms for sustainable reintegration."
Under the Balik Probinsya program, Duterte said the government will provide transportation and relocation assistance, transitory family support package and livelihood settlement grants to 10,000 returning families and receiving communities.
Another P600 million will be set aside in the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development budget to improve the government's resettlement infrastructure support, Duterte said.
In May, the government launched the Balik Probinsya program to help relocate people from the capital region to the provinces in the middle of the pandemic. Executive Order No. 114 was issued by the President to formally establish the Balik Probinsya program as a "pillar of regional development" and create an inter-agency council to supervise the program.
The Balik Probinsya program however has been marred by concerns about alleged poor coordination with local government units and lack of testing protocols following reports that some beneficiaries were carriers of the COVID-19 virus.
The government decided to temporarily halt the program in June to prioritize prioritize the transportation of stranded travelers back to their home provinces for the meantime.
In the 2021 national budget, the President said the government will also integrate hazard and health standards in the government’s housing and urban development projects.
"We will combine gray, green and blue infrastructures in our housing and urban planning to provide for more open and green spaces and better walkability that allow for social distancing," he said.
He said the government has allocated P1 billion to the National Housing Authority for the resettlement of informal settler families affected by the rehabilitation and cleanup of the Manila Bay area. Around P369 million will go to the Social Housing Financing Corporation to ensure safe and flood-resilient housing solutions for informal settlers living danger areas in Metro Manila.