The government’s Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-Asa (BP2) program will facilitate the return of another batch of beneficiaries to Northern Samar next week.

The 22 beneficiaries will undergo two-day dispatch proceedings starting Monday at the BP2 Depot along Agham Road in Quezon City.

It will include verification and evaluation by the National Housing Authority and the Department of Social Welfare and Development and medical assessment by the Department of Health (DOH).

Health Undersecretary Charade Mercado-Grande said part of the DOH’s medical interventions is the provision of free medicines and vitamins.

Wheelchairs, canes, crutches, and walkers will be distributed if needed, while Covid-19 swab testing on-site is a requirement prior to departure.

Vaccines against Covid-19 are likewise available.

“DOH likewise provides technical assistance to LGUs (local government units) in the form of capacity-building and enhancement of health facilities,” she said in a previous interview.

The DOH has already extended medical services to some 557 individuals who recently returned to Leyte, Davao del Norte, Isabela, Camarines Sur, Apayao, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Cebu, Bohol Negros Oriental, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, and Zamboanga del Norte.

“DOH, through our Centers for Health Development, also renders medical assessment and check-up for beneficiaries who are about to be dispatched to their respective provinces,” Grande added.

The latest beneficiaries were seven families, consisting of 26 individuals who returned home to the Soccsksargen Region on Wednesday.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) No. 114, institutionalizing the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-Asa program, on May 6, 2020.

BP2 primarily aims to address overcrowding in Metro Manila’s urban areas and assist informal settlers to go back to their home provinces with a fresh start.

The application for the BP2 program is accessible via the website https://balikprobinsya.ph/ or call 0919-0657896 and 0919-0692530. (PNA)