Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go has called on the national government to initiate ‘balik probinsiya’ (back to the province) programmes by providing incentives and livelihood opportunities to those who wish to relocate to the province after the public health emergency and the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) measures are lifted.
“Let’s prepare for the ‘new normal’ and one important step is to move people from cities to the provinces,” he said.
Decongesting Metro Manila is more relevant now as the country struggles to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease, he added.
“We now understand the president’s take about improving provinces to reduce the high number of people in Metro Manila. It is densely populated, the spread of disease is fast. We have difficulty in taking care of those affected,” Go said.
The senator pointed out that the high density of communities in Metro Manila amplifies the spread of infectious diseases such as Covid-19 and also slows down the efficiency of the government to provide assistance to affected constituents. Aside from responding to the immediate needs of the people, such as healthcare and social assistance at this time of crisis, the government must also put importance on long-term solutions to current problems that have adversely affected the country’s ability to respond to the health crisis, he said.
“Government assistance is being poured in the cities where most of the sick and the poor reside. We are doing this to prevent the disease from spreading in the provinces because we know that if this happens, we would not be able to cope,” Go said.
“We have learned so many lessons from this crisis, such as the problems that resulted from the congestion of people in the cities. Let us prepare and act on this issue and not wait for the problem to worsen,” he added.
The senator pointed out that the lack of urban planning and rural development has in some way contributed to the spread of the virus in congested areas and has also affected the distribution of resources.
Go said that once the enhanced community quarantine has been lifted, the government should prepare to move Filipino families out of Metro Manila.
But he clarified that this should be done only when the pandemic has been controlled.
Go said that this move would make it easier for national agencies and local government units to provide assistance to families when necessary.
He admitted that reducing the population in Metro Manila will not be easy but it has to be done immediately to end recurring problems such as worsening traffic, uneven development, poor sanitation, poor healthcare and overpopulation.
The senator also encouraged investors to bring their businesses to the province to encourage development in the countryside.
“Let us find ways of giving incentives for businesses to invest and expand in the provinces so that they could give employment, and prevent people from going to Metro Manila and allow them to be with their families,” he said.
“I and President Duterte are from the provinces too. We are from Davao where we intend to go back to after we have completed our work, that is serving the people,” he added.