Newsfeature: Caravan brings varied gov�t services to northern Iloilo BY: JAIME S. CABAG, JR. ILOILO CITY, Sept. 3 (PIA6) – The Caravan of Government Services spearheaded by the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas- Region 6 last Aug. 29 brought a package of varied services and benefits to the people of Carles and several other towns in northern Iloilo. These included some P4 million worth of assistance under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and social pension for the elderly, farm equipment, vegetable seeds and tree seedlings, inputs assistance for seaweeds farming projects, school supplies for elementary schoolchildren, Ovicidal/Larvicidal Traps, and scholarship grants in science and technology. The caravan also brought in a medical and dental mission courtesy of the provincial government of Iloilo and national government agencies. The Philippine Army 301st Brigade provided Libreng Gunting and Libreng Masahe. Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor, Sr. came to the caravan to assure the organizers of the support of the provincial government to the activity that benefits Ilonggos especially those who have less in life. Defensor and other local government chief executives also interfaced with the heads of national government agencies during the Executives’ Forum on Partnership and Good Governance held in the afternoon. The P4-million peso assistance that was turned over by DSWD6 consisted of more than P2.8 million in conditional cash grants for May and June 2013 for some 1,831 beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Part of the entire fund was the P1.16 million in checks for the local government units of the host town and Ajuy, Concepcion and San Dionisio for the social pension program for indigent senior citizens aged 77 years old and above. Two hand tractors, 2 threshers, 1 collapsible dryer and vegetable seeds were turned over by the Department of Agriculture to farmers of Carles, Balasan, Batad and Estancia. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources distributed tree seedlings. The inputs assistance for seaweeds farming projects from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) went to fishers associations in Estancia, Carles and Batad. The school supplies for school children were provided by the Department of the Interior and Local Government 6 Employees Association. The Ovicidal/Larvicidal Traps (O-L Traps) from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) were intended for the municipality of Carles. In addition, four scholarship grants for science and technology courses from DOST went to grantees from Carles, Balasan and Estancia. There was also a free legal assistance desk for needy individuals. Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio S. Apostol said the caravan has been spearheaded by their office since 2008 to bring government services closer to the people based on the principle of commitment to public service. Nearly 40,000 persons in Western Visayas benefited from the series of Caravans of Government Services initiated by the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas Region 6 until the recent activity. One of the beneficiaries in the Carles caravan, parent-leader Mercy Dellomos, 34 and mother of 3 children said during the program at the town gym that the financial grant from 4Ps is a big help to their family in overcoming poverty and keeping their children in school. Dellomos confided that the program has also boosted her self-confidence as a parent-leader. “Madamo gid nga salamat (Thank you very much),” she said of the program. Carles mayor Arnold Betita thanked the Office of the Ombudsman for bringing the caravan to his hometown which at 140 kilometers is the farthest town from this city. The caravan was participated in by various government agencies, government owned and controlled corporations, government financial institutions, local government units and partner-non government organizations under the one-stop-shop concept. The national government institutions were led by Civil Service Commission (CSC) Regional Director Rodolfo Encajonado, president of the Regional Association of National Government Executives (RANGE). The executives’ forum provided a venue wherein concerned national government agencies were apprised of the other needs and concerns of Carles and the other municipalities in the northern end of the province. The Philippine Ports Authority, Land Transportation Office, National Irrigation Administration, Department of Agriculture, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and even the provincial government said they will consider the needs and concerns for port expansion, establishment of an LTO extension office, irrigation facilities, farm to market roads, coastal resource protection, water supply, and floating ambulance, among others. Based on the interaction that took place, the people of the northern end of the province have some good things to look forward to from concerned agencies after the caravan. (JSC-PIA6)
Posted on: Tue, 03 Sep 2013 23:56:28 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015