At the capitol: “Handog ng Pangulo” caravan benefits over 7,000 Cebuanos

CEBU, Philippines — More than 7,100 Cebuanos availed themselves of various government assistance, employment opportunities, and frontline services during the “Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat para sa Lahat” service caravan at the Cebu Provincial Capitol on Monday, September 14.

The large-scale caravan gathered national government agencies and Capitol offices in one venue, allowing thousands of residents to access social welfare assistance, job opportunities, agricultural programs, skills training, health services, and other government interventions.

Of the total beneficiaries, about 3,000 accessed assistance under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Food and Transport (UPLIFT) Program, while around 1,500 participated in the job fair.

Another 500 availed themselves of agriculture-related services, while others received assistance through scholarship programs, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.

Governor Pamela Baricuatro said the activity reflected the government’s effort to bring public services closer to the people and make assistance more accessible to those who need them.

“Mao gyud kini ang tumong sa serbisyo publiko. Nga ang goberno mas duol, mas accessible, ug mas responsive sa panginahanglan sa katawhan,” Baricuatro said during the program and ceremonial turnover of assistance from national government agencies at the Capitol Social Hall.

The activity was held as part of the celebration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 69th birthday, with the national government turning the occasion into a day of public service through simultaneous caravans and assistance programs in different parts of the country.

The Cebu activity was also linked through teleconference to selected local government units nationwide, allowing Marcos to participate remotely and receive greetings from beneficiaries and local officials.

During the brief interaction, Baricuatro thanked the President for the national government’s assistance to Cebu following the earthquake and Typhoon Tino, which affected the province last year.

“Mr. President, daghan sad kaayog salamat for being with us during the darkest moment of Cebu during the earthquake and Bagyong Tino,” she told Marcos.

The service caravan brought together agencies including the Departments of Agriculture, Health, Labor and Employment, Social Welfare and Development, Trade and Industry, Education, Migrant Workers, Agrarian Reform, Justice, and the Interior and Local Government.

Also participating were the TESDA, National Senior Citizens Commission, Commission on Higher Education, National Housing Authority, Philippine Health Insurance Corp., Philippine Statistics Authority, Public Attorney’s Office, and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Cebu City Chapter.

Service stations were set up at the Capitol Grounds, Capitol Parking Lot I, and the rear portion of the Capitol to accommodate the volume of residents seeking assistance.

Aside from the mass distribution of assistance, the caravan included employment and livelihood opportunities, with TESDA providing skills-related grants and showcases, while DOLE conducted a local and overseas job fair.

Education and skills assistance were also part of the program, including TESDA scholarship slots and financial assistance from CHED, while OWWA and other agencies facilitated assistance for their respective beneficiaries.

Health and social protection services were likewise made available, including medical checkups, mobility aids, persons with disability identification cards, and various forms of social welfare assistance, while agriculture, housing, and small business support were also offered to participating Cebuanos.

Meanwhile, at least 6,019 residents of Lapu-Lapu City received 10 kilograms of rice each through the service caravan at the Hoops Dome in Barangay Gun-ob.

The rice assistance was funded through the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF).

The Lapu-Lapu City government coordinated with the DILG to implement the activity.

Aside from the rice distribution, beneficiaries also had access to the second tranche of the UPLIFT payout, services from DOLE and PSA, and free legal consultations from the Office of the City Prosecutor.

DILG-7 Director Leocadio Trovela said coordination between local government units and national agencies remains important in delivering government assistance to communities.

Mayor Ma. Cynthia King-Chan said the assistance could help ease the daily expenses of residents and support their families.

“Today’s Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat para sa Lahat is a good example of what we can accomplish when the National Government and the Local Government work together,” King-Chan said.

She also noted that the city continues to implement its separate P20-per-kilo rice program, which uses rice stocks purchased from Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI).

According to King-Chan, the city sells the rice at P20 per kilo without earning a profit from the program.

The mayor said the local initiative is being implemented alongside assistance from national government programs to provide residents with access to lower-priced rice. — (FREEMAN)