SERBISYO CARAVAN. Volunteers distribute food packs to the beneficiaries of Gobyerno Serbisyo Para sa Bayan program of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, in Cebu. (Photo courtesy of Danjick Lim/OPAV)
CEBU CITY – Nearly 18,000 people have benefitted from a six-month government “service caravan” that brings various assistance to different provinces in the Visayas, according to the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV).
Assistant Secretary Anthony Gerard Gonzales on Thursday told the Philippine News Agency that the Gobyerno Serbisyo Para sa Bayan, an initiative of the Office of the President (OP), aims to bring government services to the people.
It has visited 20 different places in the four regions of the Visayas from July to December this year, he said.
The caravan was first developed by former special assistant to the president, now senatorial candidate Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, who instructed Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino to implement an outreach program that delivers services in “geographically disadvantaged communities.”
The program is implemented nationwide, he said, but OPAV is tasked to bring different government services to the Visayan people.
“Gobyerno Serbisyo para sa Bayan is an inter-agency effort of pooling available resources of the national government agencies (NGAs) and make LGUs (local government units) as partners in bringing basic services to the grassroots level,” Gonzales told the PNA.
He said the program is a caravan of various government agencies stopping in one particular locality and rolling out different government services “right at the doorstep of the people even if they are in the far-flung areas”.
Gonzales said at least 19 national government agencies, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the Visayas, participated in this series of activities which are conducted under the concept of convergence and "big brother" program of his office.
Department of Health (DOH) personnel assist military doctors in providing medical and dental services, while those from the National Food Authority (NFA) distribute rice at a very affordable price.
Personnel from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Trade and Industry, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and Department of Agriculture (DA) provide livelihood seminars to the less fortunate individuals, while the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) offer financial literacy and access to capital.
Land Transportation Office (LTO) personnel conduct mobile registration of individuals who would like to obtain student driver’s permit, project coordinator Engineer Ricardo Mendoza told the PNA.
He said with the caravan, they have served at least 17,610 individuals from all over the Visayas.
“Bong Go told us before the filing of the certificate of candidacy last October to continue with the project even if he is no longer around as Special Assistant to President Duterte,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza said aside from the medical and dental services, athletes are helping with the caravan by providing free basketball clinic to children between nine and fourteen years old.
“Private companies are also providing jobs fair,” he said.
Agriculturists from DA distribute seedlings and other agricultural implements, while other beneficiaries enjoy the free haircut, massage, and beauty care services. “Some of them learn massage and beauty care tutorial,” he said.
Those living in remote barangays also received advises from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Social Security System (SSS), and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth). (PNA)
