The “Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program” (BP2) has led the charge in helping a couple reunite with their four children back home in Dinagat Islands after almost six years.

Christopher Arabia, 42, the family patriarch, said he and his wife went to Manila some years back to make money, put food on the table, and sustain the education of their four children.

As a welder working for a private firm, Arabia said he had faced extraordinary challenges at work due to pandemic-induced restrictions.

“Yung company namin nag-request na na dapat stay-in ka. Maraming bawal gawin, at hindi ka rin makabili ng pagkain. Dapat lahat binibili sa loob sa canteen (The company has requested us to stay inside. There were a lot of restructions, and you can only buy food from the canteen),” he said in an interview on Oct. 27.

His wife, Genevieve, who helps him earn money in the city, said they came to a point where they couldn’t send money back home anymore.

“Mahirap na rin kumita ng pera. Kailangan pang umutang sa mga kamag-anak para may maipakain sa mga anak dahil sa pandemic. (It was difficult to earn money here. We needed to borrow some cash from family members because of the challenges posed by the pandemic),” Genevieve said.

The Arabia couple, who is bound to depart from Manila on Oct. 28, is looking forward to a new chapter of their lives in Dinagat Islands.

“Masarap sa pakiramdam na makauwi ng probinsya kasi makikita mo sila ngayon malalaki na. Doon sa probinsya, hindi ka magugutom. Magtanim ka lang, may makakain ka. (I’m happy to go home to the province because I would be able see my kids again. There, you won’t go hungry. You can just plant and grow some food, and you’ll get by),” Christopher said.

The Arabia couple was among the 12 beneficiaries bound for Dinagat Islands who underwent reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR) tests on Oct. 27 at the BP2 Depot in Quezon City to ensure that they are not infected with Covid-19.

Institutionalized under Executive Order 114, series of 2020, the BP2 program is an initiative of the national government created to address the congestion in Metro Manila’s urban areas.

Government agencies guide the beneficiaries throughout this transition by providing additional support and incentives on transportation, livelihood, family needs, subsistence, education, housing, and others. (PNA)