Right info must keep in step with Balik Probinsya

A prior column on the Balik Probinsya program of government drew a swift reaction from the office of Senator Bong Go, the main proponent of the program. His chief of staff called, wishing to clarify a few points, and requested if the program's executive director could also join in a teleconference. And so we did.

But before we launched into our discussion, which consisted mainly of just me listening, I needed to point out at the outset that I am not against the program, that in fact I am for reverse migration both to decongest the urban centers and to stem the human tide swamping the cities and adding to urban blight. It was, I stressed, the timing of the implementation which I said did not complement the efforts made in the battle against COVID-19.

That out of the way, what was basically made clear to me was that, while Senator Go was the chief proponent of the measure, the program is now the ballgame of the executive department, the executor and implementor of legislative initiatives. The other relevant point they made was that the program returnees were not arbitrarily sent home but were dispatched with the full knowledge, acceptance and readiness of the LGUs concerned.

Those points are verily accepted, although I still could not see the wisdom of moving huge numbers of people in the middle of travel restrictions in a pandemic. It goes against the grain of what the entire nation has had to endure and sacrifice for more than two months. But then again, assessment of risks is done by experts, not by opinion makers.

We ended our conversation in customary polite pleasantries and an exchange of emails, Hours later I got an email from the office of Senator Go disclosing the dispatch, beginning tomorrow, of the second wave of Balik Probinsya beneficiaries to their hometowns in the provinces, with Go calling for strict coordination with recipient LGUs and adherence to mandatory health protocols. He also promised assistance every step of the way.

As far as Leyte is concerned, as this is where I presently am, Balik Probinsya executive director Marcelino Escalada Jr. said the province was chosen weeks ago as one of the pilot areas in the initial rollout of the program because "the provincial government expressed its readiness to support returning residents and cited its capability to test, detect, isolate and treat anyone suspected or later confirmed of having COVID-19."

I can see now where the problem really lay in the controversy that hounded the initial rollout of Balik Probinsya. It was all a case of bad or non-existent PR. The LGUs had been utterly silent about the knowledge, acceptance and readiness that Escalada is talking about. All that the people knew was that the Balik Probinsya returnees were already at their doorstep. Fear naturally follows such lack of information.

It is very important, therefore, for LGUs to not rely mainly on Facebook to disseminate information. Not everybody is on Facebook. And most of those who are are into other things, not feeds from their local municipios. As one Carigara resident suggested, for something as important as COVID-19, it won't hurt to use some of the old fashioned ways of spreading news, by recorida, for instance. Doing away with fear is half the war vs the virus.