BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga recently launched the Tinubdan sa Impormasyong Pambarangay ug Serbisyong Pangkatawhan (TIPS) Center in Agusan del Norte, located in Barangay Matabao, municipality of Buenavista.
As the first TIPS center in the province, it will serve as a hub for the local communities in Buenavista to have access to public services and accurate government information.
An innovation of DILG Caraga, the program on TIPS aims to establish one resource center in every barangay across the region. These centers will serve as frontline information hubs where citizens can access services, verify requirements, and raise concerns without the need to travel far.
“This is a proud innovation of DILG Caraga. With TIPS, we are bringing the government closer to the people,” said DILG Caraga Regional Director Maria Loisella E. Lucino.
“Dili na kinahanglan nga molangyaw pa ang katawhan. Sa barangay pa lang, kabalo na sila unsay mga kinahanglanon ug unsay buhaton. (People will no longer need to travel far. At the barangay level, they will already know what the requirements are and what steps to take),” she added.
She emphasized that Barangay Matabao is the first in Agusan del Norte to implement the program, serving as a model for other barangays in the province.
DILG Provincial Director Ellen Vee P. Chua reiterated that the barangay is the first line of government support and must be well-equipped to assist its people. “Through TIPS, we empower barangay officials to provide timely, accurate, and reliable information and services to their constituents.”
Buenavista Mayor Joselito T. Roble expressed his full support to the program and committed to establishing TIPS resource centers in all 25 barangays of the town.
“Ang TIPS magsilbing luna sa barangay diin makaduol ang katawhan aron makapangutana, makapangayo og tabang, ug makadawat dayon og serbisyo (T.I.P.S. will serve as a space in the barangay where people can easily come forward to ask questions, seek help, and immediately receive services) This is our commitment to better public service,” the local chief executive said.
The TIPS Center is envisioned as a one-stop hub that makes government information and services more accessible, efficient, and responsive to the needs of the people—right at the barangay level.
With Barangay Matabao leading the way, DILG Caraga encourages other municipalities in Agusan del Norte and across the region to follow suit and embrace localized, people-centered governance through the TIPS program. (NCLM, PIA Agusan del Norte)
