Ombudsman-Visayas celebrates 9th year with Negros caravan

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – To celebrate its ninth anniversary, the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas will hold a caravan in Toboso town, Negros Occidental on Tuesday.

Graft investigation officer Evangeline Nunal said the Caravan of Government Services (CGS) would bring together 62 national government agencies to serve the people of Toboso, a third-class municipality.

This will be the 15th CGS, which brings government agencies together to serve poor communities, and the fifth to be held in the province.

Since it was created in 2008, the CGS has served 112,429 residents of Western Visayas, which is composed of the provinces of Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental.

Negros Occidental has recently been separated from Region 6 or Western Visayas and now belongs to the newly created Negros Island Region or Region 18, along with Negros Oriental.

With its motto “Bringing Government Services Closer to the People,” the Ombudsman-Visayas and its caravan partners continue to bring its services to people in far-flung areas where government services are not available.

Nunal said Toboso Mayor Richard Jaojoco has declared Tuesday a non-working holiday in the town, to allow local folk and residents from nearby towns to participate and avail themselves of the services to be offered by the national government agencies.

Fr. Dionisio Nacario Jr., director of the Social Action Center of the Diocese of San Carlos, earlier requested Ombudsman-Visayas acting director Philip Camiguing, to hold the CGS in northern Negros.