Thousands of residents of Talaingod, Davao del Norte headed by Mayor Basilio Libayao welcomed ARENA XI which conducted its 16th Serbisyo Caravan. The two-day event was held in Barangay Sto. Niño on Thursday June 18 and ended on Friday June 19, 2015.
The residents coming from various barangays of the municipality composed mostly of Lumads from the Ata-Manobo tribe availed themselves of various civic and social services for free courtesy of ARENA XI members.
According to DPWH 11 regional director and ARENA XI president Mariano R. Alquiza, millions of pesos worth of goods, mostly rice and groceries, were distributed to the people. This is not to mention the free medical and dental services rendered by government volunteers.
Medicines, school supplies, seedlings, and fingerlings were also distributed.
A dialogue was also conducted between the Lumads represented by their Datus and concerned government agencies to clear issues and concerns.
ARENA XI, an association of Regional Executives of National Agencies in Region 11, has been going around the region especially in far-flung, rural, and depressed areas rendering direct public service without the usual red tape.
The June 19 caravan in Talaingod was by far the most heavily attended.
National officials who attended the event included DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman, DOH Assistant Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial, USEC Emmanuel Bautista and Gen. Wilson Leyva of the Cabinet Cluster on Security, Justice and Peace (CCSJP), USEC Maria Cleofe Sandoval and ASEC Jennifer S. Oreta of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), Dir. Leo Trovella of DILG, Atty Leonor Quintayo of NCIP, Atty Jerome Coronel of DOJ, Dir. Chris Morales of DA, ASEC Urduja Tejada of DOST, and Elizabeth Milo of the National Anti-Poverty Council (NAPC).
Local government officials headed by Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario and Vice Governor Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio also came and went home impressed by the ARENA event.
The huge success of the caravan prompted the national officials to organize a similar body to be replicated in other regions of the country with ARENA XI as model. This time it was suggested that it would be adopted on a Cabinet cluster basis.
Alquiza thanked the volunteer government agencies and their employees who shared their resources, time, and effort to serve the people. (A.L.Dacumos/Rose B.Palacio/DPWH-XI PIO)
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