BARANGAY SERVICE VEHICLES. Bataan 2nd District Rep. Jose Enrique Garcia III (left) and Balanga City Mayor Francis Garcia grace the distribution of service vehicles to barangays in Bataan on Friday (Dec. 20, 2019). A total of 26 multi-cabs were distributed in addition to the 56 previously issued. (Photo by Ernie Esconde)
BALANGA CITY, Bataan -- Bataan’s provincial government distributed service vehicles to several barangays on Friday.
Local officials said it would be a continuing process until all the province’s 237 villages get a service vehicle each after the submission of a barangay master plan.
Rep. Jose Enrique Garcia III of the province’s 2nd district said they distributed 26 multi-cabs in addition to the 56 that were previously issued.
Of the 56 units, 19 came from the provincial government and 37 from Garcia’s congressional office.
“Parang insentibo sa mga barangay na nakatapos gumawa ng master plan (It is like an incentive to villages that have completed their master plan),” he said.
Garcia noted that funds were also ready for 20 more vehicles. The air-conditioned multi-cabs are worth about PHP1 million each.
He said the last time the provincial government gave barangays service vehicles was about 10 years ago, and they now need replacements.
“Multi-purpose ang mga sasakyan na magagamit for rescue. Pwede sa pagdadala ng mga estudyante sa paaralan sa malalayong lugar at sa mga pasyente for emergency (The vehicles are multi-purpose – they can be used for rescue operations and to bring students to schools in distant areas, and patients in case of emergency),” Garcia said.
He said the vehicles were funded by the national government through departments that have downloaded the Local Government Support Fund, and the provincial government through its General Fund.
Garcia was accompanied by Balanga City Mayor Francis Garcia and Bataan Vice Governor Crisanta Garcia in the blessing of the vehicles. (PNA)
