“Ining pagbisita nindo digdi sa harayo ming lugar sarong patunay na dai nindo (government agencies) kami binabayaan lalo na sa oras nin pandemya na nagtatao nin kahaditan sa sakong mga kabarangay.”
This was the welcome message of Misibis Barangay Captain Sonny Corral in Tiwi, Albay last September 26, 2020 as the Serbisyo Caravan rolled out in the said barangay.
This caravan is anchored on Executive Order 70 in institutionalizing the Whole-of-Nation Approach to end local insurgency and armed conflict in the country by bringing the government services closer to the people.
The Serbisyo Caravan in Albay is targeting more than 600 participants in far-flung areas which are Communist NPA Terrorist (CNT) influenced areas.
As the head agency of the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) Core Team, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) converged all government agencies, stakeholders, PNP, AFP and LGU and bring their services to these areas, in a bid to eliminate the influence of CNTs, and bring back the trust and confidence of the people to the government.
As a member-agency of the ELCAC Cluster/Line of Efforts, the Department of Agriculture Bicol represented by Florentino Ubalde Jr, Agricultural Programs Coordinating o
Officer for Albay and Sorsogon discussed the various programs, projects, services and social packages especially the interventions in this time of pandemic.
Ubalde said that “an DA pirming nakaantabay an serbisyo sa gabos na mga paraoma o sa mga residentes na interesado sa pag-uma.”
Ubalde assured the RCSP that DA Bicol will be an active partner in the campaign for sustainable and all inclusive peace and development. Thus, DA Bicol will be present in all its scheduled Serbisyo Caravan.
At the DA Bicol Serbisyo Booth, the residents received vegetable seeds and garden tools and IEC materials.
During the conduct of the Serbisyo Caravan, discussion of the prevailing issues in the barangay was facilitated and possible solutions were elicited from the participants themselves because the activity is also a solution-seeking table.
According to DILG Provincial Director Arnel Renato Madrideo, the presence of the government agencies is a tangible proof of the government’s effort to bring what the people need and deserve.
The other agencies which participated in the caravan were: the Department of Labor and Employment -V (DOLE-V), Department of Agrarian Reform – V (DAR-V), Department of Education – V (DepEd-V), Commission on Higher Education -V (CHED-V), Department of Social Welfare and Development- V (DSWD-V), Department of Public Works and Highways-V (DPWH-V), Department of Science and Technology -V (DOST-V), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority -V (TESDA-V), National Economic and Development Authority -V (NEDA-V), National Intelligence and Coordinating Agency -V (NICA-V), Department of Environment and Natural Resources-V (DENR-V), Department of Trade and Industry -V (DTI-V), Department of Health -V (DOH-V), Naval Forces Southern Luzon (NAVFORSOL), Provincial Government of Albay and Provincial Police Office.
Numerous similar caravans are scheduled across the Bicol Region in the coming months despite the pandemic. All health and safety protocols were observed during the one-day activity. (jaysonmgonzales)