MANILA — Abra lone district Rep. Joseph Sto. Niño Bernos has filed a bill aimed at addressing the “brain drain” in the provinces, which he said worsens the inequality between urban and rural areas.

House Bill 3124, or the “Balik-Bayanihan sa Probinsya” bill, proposes strengthening local ecosystems for work and enterprise by aligning education, labor, and development policies instead of relying on temporary incentives to retain young professionals in their hometowns.

The measure envisions a Balik-Bayanihan Program with several components:

• Provincial talent hubs providing career coaching, job matching, labor market information, continuing education, and professional development, as well as co-working spaces and mentorship for freelancers, startups, and returning professionals.
• Local career pathways and job creation that promote opportunities in tourism, agriculture, digital services, crafts, and public service, integrating internships, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training with senior high school and tertiary education curricula.
• Rural employment linkage connecting young workers with micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), cooperatives, remote work opportunities, tourism and heritage enterprises, agribusiness, environmental restoration, and local manufacturing.
• Return-to-province career tracks, requiring local government units (LGUs) and national agencies to maintain priority hiring rosters, provide reintegration support services, and collaborate with the Department of Information and Communications Technology to enhance broadband and shared tech facilities for digital professionals in rural areas.

“We want our local talents to stay so that they can use their knowledge and energy for the betterment of their hometowns,” Bernos said.

Instead of creating new institutions, the bill calls for “a recalibration of priorities of existing institutions,” according to the lawmaker.

Bernos added, “We need a shift in mindset, a refocusing on rural development that would help address regional inequality. It will be easier to achieve rural development if we prevent the exodus of our young talent toward urban centers.”

The lawmaker also appealed to the youth to consider working for their hometowns as part of the program. (via PNA)