SORSOGON CITY, Sorsogon (PIA) – Over a thousand beneficiaries benefited from the LAB for ALL Service Caravan during its inaugural visit to Sorsogon on Thursday, July 18, 2024.
“Malaking karangalan sa mga Sorsoganon ang mabisita tayo ni First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos at malaking bagay sa amin ang tulong na naihatid ng Lab for All Caravan. Tunay na ramdam namin ang serbisyo ng ating pamahalaan,” said Roderes Destura, a beneficiary from Casiguran town.
(It was a great honor for Sorsoganons to be visited by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and the assistance provided by the Lab for All Caravan is significant for us. We genuinely appreciate the government’s services.)
Destura availed of medical consultation, medicines, a grocery package, and P2,000 in cash assistance.
The LAB for ALL project stands for “Laboratoryo, Konsulta at Gamot para sa Lahat.” Led by the First Lady, the LAB for ALL Service Caravan provides primary healthcare to marginalized communities.
Since its inception, more and more government agencies and private companies have joined the initiative, making additional social services available to those in need.
“Nagsimula kami sa dalawang ahensya lamang, pero ngayon dumami na ng dumami (We started with only two agencies; now it has grown more and more),” said First Lady Liza, attributing the success of the program to a public-private partnership.
Participating government agencies
A number of agencies joined the LAB for ALL Service Caravan in Sorsogon. The Department of the Interior and Local Government provided full assistance to beneficiaries and providers of free medical consultations, dental cleaning, and extractions through the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
On the other hand, the Commission on Higher Education offered Unifast scholarship grants to a total of 17,297 beneficiaries of free higher education, 6,617 grantees of the Tertiary Education Subsidy, and 45 grantees of the Tulong Dunong Program.
Also, the Department of Agriculture (DA) distributed agricultural resources to 10 farmer cooperatives and association beneficiaries, including 500 grafted pili seedlings, 3,000 packets of vegetable seeds, 100 bamboo planting materials, and 2,500 copies of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials.
Lab for All livelihood packages
The event also included the distribution of Lab for All livelihood packages, consisting of 48 ready-to-lay pullets, an egg machine cage to house 48 pullets, eight bags of poultry express feeds, disinfectant, multi-vitamins, and antibiotics.
Meanwhile, the Department of Migrant Workers provided free legal consultations, e-registration, and medical assistance. The Development Bank of the Philippines made a cash donation of P200,000, and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) distributed over 1,500 pails of grocery packs called “ChariTimba.”
Through Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided cash assistance of P2,000 each to 939 indigent individuals, with 297 of them from Sorsogon City, 424 from Gubat Town, and 218 from Casiguran Town. Additionally, DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Division provided relief supplies to each individual to help them cope with inflation.
“First time nangyari sa Sorsogon ang ganito kalaking caravan, kaya nagpapasalamat ako sa kay First Lady, kay President Bongbong, kay Governor Hamor at Senator Chiz. Dahil marami-rami ang nakuha kong food packs, medyo matatagalan bago ako pupunta sa grocery. Salamat sa mga ahesyang nagsakatuparan nito,” said Romulo Ermino, a resident of Luna Candol, Gubat, who received grocery packs from PCSO and DSWD.
(This is the first time such a large caravan took place in Sorsogon. I am thankful to the First Lady, President Bongbong Marcos, Gov. Hamor, and Sen. Chiz. Because I got a lot of food packs, it will take me a while before going to the grocery again. Thank you to the agencies that made this happen.)
More service offerings
During the caravan event, various government agencies and private sectors offered a range of services to the public. The National Housing Authority set up a booth to provide information about their housing programs. The Department of Trade and Industry offered free support for small businesses, including product development and coaching, as well as assistance with business registration. The Land Transportation Office facilitated the free processing of driver’s licenses, motor vehicle registration renewal, and provided theoretical driving courses. The National Bureau of Investigation offered free issuance of NBI clearances.
Moreover, the Department of Health provided medical and dental consultations, laboratory check-ups, referrals, and distributed medicines. The Public Attorney’s Office offered free legal consultations and notarial services. Philhealth facilitated the registration of Konsulta members and offered consultation services with their Konsulta providers.
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority showed free skills demonstrations, provided training support funds, starter tool kits, and free health and wellness services. The local health offices of the local government units also provided full support for the service caravan.
Private sectors such as the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, Cebuana Lhuillier, Integrated Philippine Association of Optometrists (IPAO), ARS Marketing, JTI, One Stop Medical Systems Resources, CALMA Missions, Goldman’s Supply Corporation, Powertrac, mWell of Metro Pacific Health Tech Corporation, Inner Wheel Club, Ophthalmological Foundation of the Philippines (OFPHIL), First Philippine Holdings Corporation, Energy Development Corporation, and the Lopez Group of Companies also offered services such as business partnerships, medical and dental services, optical check-ups, and provision of hygiene kits and medicines.
In the event, the provincial government of Sorsogon received LAB for ALL mobile clinics, along with a complete set of medical and dental equipment, such as chemical analyzers, hematocrit centrifuges, handheld electrolyte analyzers, and examination lights. In addition, the city government of Sorsogon will also receive a mobile clinic.
The LAB for ALL project offers free primary healthcare services to the public in line with the Universal Health Care Act. The First Lady chose Sorsogon as the first province in Bicol to receive the LAB for ALL service caravan due to its status as the country’s top Universal Health Care Level 2 implementer.
The initiative was well-received, not only due to its services but also because of the meaningful relationships in the community.
“This is the start of even bigger assistance for Sorsogon in the future. Sama-sama tayo sa Bagong Pilipinas!” said the First Lady in her message.
During July 15–17, a 3-day Lab for All pre-medical mission took place in partnership with the provincial government of Sorsogon’s 7K Kalusugan Team and various national government agencies in Sorsogon City, Pilar, Castilla, and Casiguran.
The three-day medical mission recorded 1,322 beneficiaries, with 796 receiving medical consultations and 588 receiving dental assistance. (PIA5/Sorsogon)
