NEWS
BALIK PROBINSYA SERVICED STRANDED PUPIANS BACK TO HOMETOWNS
Words: Yevgeny Menk P. Monarquia
Photos: PUP Official Facebook Page
When the national government announced Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila, many students were not able to go back to their hometowns.
In March 2020, after the national government proclaimed a region-wide community quarantine over Metro Manila due to the COVID-19 virus, several students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) became stranded in their dormitories.
In an interview conducted with Prof. Krupskaya T. Valila, director of the PUP – Communications Management Office, she stated that the program was part of the many initiatives that the university conducted during the most difficult months of the ECQ. According to her, the Balik Probinsya Program was an initiative originated from PUP President, Dr. Manuel Muhi.
“During the start of ECQ, hindi naman pinabayaan ni Dr. Manuel Muhi yung mga estudyante na na-stranded dito. Actually, weekly sila binibigyan ng ayuda,” Ms. Valila said.
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Ms. Valila added, “But when we talk about sustainability, since yung ayuda are highly dependent on donations from the faculty and administrative employees, we saw that it's going to be hard to sustain.”
Another factor why they really wanted to send the students back to their families was because months of being alone, in isolation away from their families during a health crisis, they worry that this might take a toll on the stranded students’ mental and emotional health.
Dr. Manuel Muhi also lent his car and the university’s official vehicle used to transport the students, specifically the students who lived relatively near, like Quezon City, Rizal, and Cavite.
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But with the students living in farther provinces like Bataan and Batangas, the University asked for some aid from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in accompanying students to their hometown and provinces using their military trucks.
The university's Office of International Affairs (OIA) also ensured that the international students attending the university also be given the opportunity to go back home. According to an interview with Le Dat, a Vietnamese student taking up Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, conducted by PUP CreaTV, the OIA helped them process and secure their student visa while they were stranded.
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In Le Dat's case, the Vietnamese government sent a plane to rescue the stranded Vietnamese in the Philippines.
According to the report from PUP CreaTV, there were at least 33 students benefited from this program.