Serbisyo Caravan launched
DAVAO ORIENTAL – The Provincial Government of Davao Oriental is set to launch its own version of Serbisyo Caravan which aims to provide services to far-flung communities, especially to those areas vulnerable to insurgencies and armed conflicts.
Dubbed as Nagkakaisang Lingkod-Bayan ng Davao Oriental Barangay Outreach Caravan, the initiative is touted to become a regular program of the Provincial Government that thrusts to promote peace by bringing government services closer to the people.
Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang, who strongly pushed for the project, said he wants the people, especially those in remote villages that are often affected by armed conflicts, to feel the government’s presence along with its genuine desire to reach out to them by providing the most basic services.
The program was conceptualized after the successful conduct of a similar program called the Family Day and Medical Outreach Project in Sitio Sangab in the mountain village of Pichon in Caraga town which was jointly initiated by the Philippine Army and the Provincial Government. The activity had served around 3,000 residents in this remote sitio, which provided various services such as medical and dental services, provision of school supplies and food packs, conduct of a feeding program and lectures on various advocacies.
During a series of preparatory meetings, members of the program committee consisting of several provincial offices and national government agencies have agreed to pool their resources for the upcoming launching of the Serbisyo Caravan in the far-flung villages of Barangay Taocanga and Barangay Rizal in Manay town. Around 35 kilometers from the highway, the areas can be reached through rough terrain, making these areas seldom reached by goods and services. Battling poverty on a daily basis, most of the residents here depend primarily on meager income through farming or labor.
The services that will be offered in these villages will be based on the result of the needs assessment conducted by the Philippine Army’s 67th Infantry Battalion. Based on the assessment, the areas are in dire need the government’s attention.
Among the national agencies that were tapped by the Provincial Government to participate in this endeavor include the Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, among many others.
The program will also tap Non-Government Organizations such as the Global Impact and other Civil Society Organizations. It will also involve the municipal government and barangay local government unit.
Governor Dayanghirang said the program will surely make a difference in the lives of the people. Although it only offers short-term interventions, the program is also a venue to identify long-term interventions that will usher communities towards socio-economic development.
“Giving our wholehearted services is already a huge thing for the people in the hinterlands. These various services that we are giving are essential to help these people who are struggling to afford the basic necessities. This is our chance to help them and make them feel that we here in the government are there for them,” said Governor Dayanghirang. By PIO, Photo by Eden Jhan Licayan