Año says Lanao del Sur Gov. Adiong still backs Balik Probinsiya program

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Thursday Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. still supports the national government's Balik Probinsiya program.

Año told GMA News Online that Adiong has withdrawn his previous statement in which he appealed to the national government to temporarily suspend the implementation of the program due to the increase in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections in the province.

"Out of context lang. He still supports Balik Probinsiya program," Año said.

Earlier reports said the number of COVID-19 cases in the province had risen to 19, thus the governor made the appeal.

"Gusto sana naming sabihan ang national government na kung puwede, medyo stop muna natin 'yung Balik Probinsiya," Adiong had said.

The governor also said the sending back of locally stranded individuals and repatriated overseas Filipino workers to their home provinces must be gradual.

"'Yung health protocols na dati, 'yun ang ibalik na. Bago nila pauwiin 'yung mga kababayan natin, ma-test muna. Hindi lang 'yung rapid [test]. Dapat eh swab [test] para sigurado tayo, sigurado 'yung mga uuwian nila na hindi mahahawa. Kasi 'pag nahawa 'yan e alam natin na isa lang ang nag-positive diyan, alam natin 'pag ilan ang maapekto," Adiong added.

Año earlier claimed that there is some sort of confusion between the Hatid Probinsiya and Balik Probinsiya programs of the government.

He said Hatid Probinsiya is for letting stranded individuals go back to their home provinces during the health crisis while the Balik Probinsiya is a long-term program of the government in which families are encouraged to return to provinces and settle there.

Last month, Party-list Gabriela and its allies took a lashing from the DILG for mistakenly launching an attack on the Balik Probinsiya program.

In a statement, DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said that Gabriela made a basic error in criticizing the Balik Probinsiya, mistaking it for the government's Hatid Probinsiya program. —LBG, GMA News