In the hope of sustaining the livelihood of the families who chose to return to the province in the height of the pandemic, the Department of Agriculture continues to deliver agricultural interventions to beneficiaries of the Balik Probinsiya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) Program.

In a two-day distribution activity, the DA Regional Field Office 1 handed over P3 million worth of livelihood assistance to recipients from Ilocos Norte and La Union.

The interventions include pullets, cockerels and layer mash feeds for chicken production, upgraded goats, assorted seeds and seedlings for vegetable production, and forage chopper.

One of the beneficiaries, Ms. Roselle Delos Santos of Sulbec, Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte said that the assistance she received from the entire BP2 program helped her start anew after leaving Metro Manila in 2020.

“Hindi naging madali ang naging desisyon ko na bumalik ng probinsiya dahil nawalan ako ng trabaho sa Maynila. Akala ko noon ay wala nang pag-asa ngunit dahil sa BP2, nabigyan ako ng pagkakataon na magkaroon ng hanapbuhay. Nagpapasalamat ako sa DA dahil isa ako sa mga nabigyan ng livelihood assistance. Malaking tulong po sa aking pamilya upang matustusan ang aming pangangailangan sa pang-araw araw. Sana po ay madami pa kayong matulungan na katulad namin mula sa programang BP2,” Delos Santos said.

Aside from these, the upgraded goats were also given B-complex injection by the Office of the Provincial Veterinary of Ilocos Norte, headed by Dr. Loida Valenzuela,

In La Union, a total of P345,000 worth of livelihood assistance was also given to BP2 recipients.###