Govt Services, Assistance Rain Down on Kapalong

by Noel Baguio

Gov. Rodolfo P. del Rosario leads the distribution of social pension to some elderly
 at the ARENA-XI Serbisyo Caravan, headed by DBM-XI Reg'l Dir. Achilles Gerard Bravo, 3rd right,
in Kapalong, Davao del Norte, as graced by 1st District Congressman Anthony del Rosario, right. Noel Baguio/DavNor PIO.

Davao del Norte, September 12, 2012 – Over 4,000 constituents benefitted from the widest array of government services in one setting when the ARENA-XI Serbisyo Caravan joined forces with the local convergence program of the province in the municipality of Kapalong.

PhilPost personnel help in handing out cash allocation to 4P beneficiaries
out at the joint ARENA-XI Serbisyo Caravan and convergence outreach
in Kapalong, Davao del Norte. Noel Baguio/DavNor PIO.

Hordes of beneficiaries crowded the Kapalong Town Square and nearby facilities last Friday to avail of the millions worth of services and assistance brought by the Association of Regional Executives of National Agencies in Region XI (ARENA-XI).

Budget and Management Regional Director Achilles Gerard Bravo, who is President of ARENA-XI, led about 250 officials and personnel from the 36 participating NGAs in serving constituents at the 10th and last leg of the serbisyo caravan.

The whole contingent of the Davao del Norte Convergence for Peace and Development, led by Governor Rodolfo P. del Rosario, further augmented the massive display of government services.

The governor expressed his satisfaction to see for the first time all the regional directors in one setting personally attending to the needs of the constituents. “This is really a big boost to the convergence program of the province,” he said.

1st District Congressman Anthony del Rosario distributes wheelchairs
at the joint ARENA-XI Serbisyo Caravan and convergence outreach
 in Kapalong, Davao del Norte,  led by DBM-XI Reg'l Dir. Achilles Gerard Bravo
 and Gov. Rodolfo P. del Rosario.  Noel Baguio/DavNor PIO.

Bravo lauded the province for initiating its own convergence activities that shares the same purpose of bringing the government closer to the people, in coordination with the army, the police and other agencies.

He bared ARENA-XI’s one-stop-shop of services and the convergence program are the only one of its kind in the whole country, where the various national and local line agencies banded together to haul essential services directly to the communities.

“It is a pleasure to work with the convergence program of the province, as we have long been hearing about its numerous accomplishments,” he said.

According to him, the recipients were able to save a lot of time and money by directly availing the vital services at their doorsteps instead of going to capital cities or towns.

Health workers give free medicines at the joint ARENA-XI Serbisyo Caravan
and convergence outreach in Kapalong, Davao del Norte,
led by DBM-XI Reg'l Dir. Achilles Gerard Bravo and Gov. Rodolfo P. del Rosario. 
Noel Baguio/DavNor PIO

Services during the caravan include medical, dental and surgical services, legal services, livelihood and capital assistance, supplemental feeding, OTC payment for 4Ps and social pensioners, agri-services and animal care, issuance of ICC stickers, mobile licensing, dialogue, among others.

The ARENA-XI Serbisyo Caravan has already served over 20,000 beneficiaries in the region, while the convergence program of the province have so far served about 40,000 recipients since their start last year.