‘Federalism to boost Balik Probinsya program’

A federalist system of government will boost Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go’s Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) Program that seeks to decongest Metro Manila, the head of the Presidential Anti- Corruption Commission ( PACC) said on Thursday.

PACC Chairman Dante Jimenez noted that shifting to a federal system of government would help ensure economic growth in the countryside.

“Federalism will also help support the Balik Probinsiya Program initiated by Sen. Bong Go. Jobs can be created in the provinces and new investments can be spurred by decentralization,” Jimenez, who served as the founding chairman of the Federalismo Alyansa ng Bicol, told The Manila Times in a text message.

He added that the government needed to infuse more resources and encourage investments in the provinces to ensure the success of the program.

“The Balik Probinsiya program is a good program but lacks a support system, meaning if there are no jobs in the provinces then people will not be enticed to go back to their provinces,” he said.

“If local governments are not shackled by national government laws they can think of better ways to entice investments,” the PACC chief added.

On May 6, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order 114, which seeks to institutionalize the BP2 Program as “a pillar of balanced regional development.”

The program aims to ease Metro Manila’s ballooning population and convince people to go home to their provinces as the government struggles to contain the novel coronavirus in major cities.

“To reverse migration to the NCR (National Capital Region or Metro Manila) and other congested metropolises, as well as to attain rural prosperity through equitable distribution of wealth, resources and opportunities, a balanced regional development program to foster socially cohesive, resilient and sustainable rural communities needs to be institutionalized,” the President said.

Go earlier said congestion in Metro Manila and other urban centers led to the fast spread of the coronavirus and slowed down the distribution of relief aid to affected communities

Under the BP2 Program, the government would provide free transportation and livelihood assistance to those who want to relocate to their respective provinces.

The 2015 census revealed that Metro Manila was home to 12.87 million Filipinos.