CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) -- More than 100,000 people in the Visayas have benefited from the series of Bangon Bayan Muli (BBM) caravan in 2023, the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) said. 

Since the caravan’s launch in May in Brgy. Canamucan, Compostela town, northern Cebu, OPAV has rolled out six major service caravans in the Visayas. 

OPAV is eyeing to hold more service caravans in 2024, with the target of 14 caravans or at least one caravan for each province in the Visayas region.

The program, which will be rebranded as Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) this year, was launched under its new name in Biliran last year with nine BPSF mini-caravans already conducted in the Visayas.

The BBM caravan was initiated by OPAV to bring government services closer to the grassroots, especially to residents in remote areas, said OPAV Spokesperson Kaye-Almeida Yap. 

In 2023, OPAV partnered with the following government agencies to make their services more accessible to people in far-flung areas: Philippine Statistics Authority, Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Health Insurance Corp., Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Migrant Workers, National Telecommunications Commission, Social Security System, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

Yap said they will bring in more government agencies for the BPSF caravans this year. 

“We are hoping to give more services to the three regions: Regions 6, 7, and 8. Hopefully, there will be more offices from both public and private agencies who will participate in our upcoming caravans,” Yap added.

In Cebu, around 50,000 people have benefited from the BBM caravans last year. 

“The concept is still bringing all these government services closer to the people because Cebu houses all the major regional government offices, so we might bring these to other provinces like Bohol, Siquijor, and so on,” said OPAV Media Head Jerome Calatrava.

The caravans for 2024 will be held for two days instead of one, with at least ten partner agencies present.

Calatrava also shared that they have received numerous requests for Land Transportation Office (LTO) to be included in the service caravans for easier processing of driver’s license renewal and other LTO services. 

“It is still in the works because the main issue that we may face is the internet connection because it is a national database,” Calatrava explained.

OPAV will also partner with the Department of Foreign Affairs for the inclusion of their “Passport on Wheels” program in the service caravans.  (MYP/PIA7 Cebu)