By EDWIN IYO,
Correspondent
GINGOOG CITY — Some 11,000 indigenes from tribal communities of the city benefited from the two-day Peace Caravan, a national outreach program of national government on Thursday.
The city government, here, assisted the Peace Caravan with their parallel activity—Serbisyo Caravan.
The beneficiaries came from 10 mountain baran-gays of the city.
Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Lluistro keynote speaker in the 1st day of the Serbisyo Caravan said the coming together of key government agencies is a key strategy of the inclusive growth agenda of the Aquino administration.
Services included free dental and medical clinics, distribution of PhilHealth Cards, nutrition packages, seedlings of various agriculture crops, tree planting materials, food packs and free legal and notarial services.
The Serbisyo Caravan is a showcase of Mayor Marie Guingona’s efforts to integrate the city’s peace and development efforts to that of the national government.
“In the past, our city has been largely left to our own resources — our voices drowned out by the many needs of the nation,” Guingona said.
The Serbisyo Caravan, she added is symbolic of the development taking root in Gingoog City, a chartered city of MisamisOriental which has a population of around 130,000 people.
“But now, our city has renewed hope for a better future – because the national government has heard the voices of the Gingoognons. And supported our initiatives generously — mga dalan, electrification, panubig, classrooms and more.”
“With the firm commitment of national government to offer long-term solutions to our problems, we can say that finally, we have been heard, we are being helped,” the mayor added.
Army commanding general Lt. Eduardo Ano said delivery of basic services and implementation of projects in hinterland barangays addresses the root cause of insurgency.
The hinterlands of Gingoog which straddles the boundaries of Agusan del Norte and Bukidnon is a known hotbed of the New People’s Army.
Participating national agencies include the DepEd, Dept. of Interior and Local Government, Dept. Of Health, Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources, Dept. of Public Works and Highways, Dept. of Agrarian Reform, OPAPP, Dept . of Science and Technology, Dept. of Social Welfare and Development, Dept. of Trade and Industry, the Dept. of Justice – Public Attorneys’ Office, Dept. of Labor and Employment, PhilHealth, National Commission on the Indigenous People, NEDA-RDC, Phil. Drug Enforcement Agency, Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Socio-civic organizations like the Rotary Club of Gingoog and SM Foundation have also donated goods.
The Serbisyo Caravan moves to poblacion Gin-goog yesterday and served an estimated 18,000 residents from 50 urban and coastal barangays. (With reports from Bencyrus G. Ellorin)
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