Maco, Maragusan avail ARENA services

Maco, Maragusan avail ARENA services

Compostela Valley, April 13 (PIA) - - Thousands of residents from the municipalities of Maco and Monkayo gathered on April 9-10 in Brgy. New Leyte, Maco to avail government services from the national agencies and local government unit.

Around 30 national and local government agencies joined in the 13th Serbisyo Caravan of the Association of Regional Executives of National Agencies (ARENA) XI.

 ARENA XI President and Department of Public Works and Highways Regional Director Mariano Alquiza said that starting 2011, the national government agencies in the region decided to bring the government closer to the people by offering its services to the barangays, which were identified as poorest among the poor and conflict affected areas.

“This has been our second caravan in Compostela Valley. Previously, we held it in Nabunturan last 2011,” Alquiza said.
Gov. Arturo Uy said that the services of the government that will be extended to the far flung barangays of the province, especially to Brgy. New Leyte, do not end in the two-day activity alone.

“The government continues to address the problem of the community especially in accessibility and health concerns,” Gov Uy said.During the caravan, Alquiza distributed 360 pairs of slippers to the children of the municipalities.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) dispensed 5,200 seedlings of fruit bearing trees as part of the National Greening Program, which plans to cover more than 1,700 hectares in the two municipalities by the end of 2015; and another 5,000 seedlings of Cacao and coffee were turned over by the Department of Agricutlure (DA).

Meanwhile, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) gave 150 packs of iron fortified rice or iRice to households with undernourished children with iodine filled water.

DOST XI Anthony Sales also gave the barangays Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosk Stations (STAR-BOOKS) software, a repository of information about science, technology and livelihood in video format or print publication of reports, theses or dissertation.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources also distributed 30,000 tilapia fingerlings to 30 individual farmers, which will be bred in Lake Leonard, Maco.

Three hundred children also got educational kits from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP); while 3,000 more received pencils from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) handed over P600,000 worth of livelihood assistance to eight motor driver associations and farmer groups.

Aside from wheelchairs and crunches, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also gave out millions of pesos worth of supplemental feeding, social pension to senior citizens, food packs and calamity seeds.

The Department of Trade and Industry also accepted business registration and consultancies to the local micro, small and medium enterprises.

The Philippine National Police also catered consultation on violence against women and children and seminar on barangay tanod.

The Philippine Health Insurance Company distributed universal health care to enrolees; and the Commission on Election accepted voters registration.

The National Food Authority also retailed affordable rice during the activity.

Other offices also converged to deliver basic services like medical and dental including circumcision, minor surgery and eye check-up by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Provincial Economic Enterprise Management Office, Provincial Health Office, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and DPWH and veterinary services by the Provincial Veterinary Office.

 Agencies like the Public Attorney’s Office, National Commission on Indigenous People, Department of Agrarian Reforms delivered free legal services; while the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Interior and Local Government, National Economic Development Authority and Philippine Coconut Authority provided technical consultation services. (PIA-XI/Michael Uy)