" Akong isaad nga muabot kaninyo ug madawat ninyo ang mga programa nga gitagana alang kaninyo. Ug dili kini ninyo bayaran kay ang tanan serbisyo, libre alang kaninyo." - Mayor Lorife "Aping" M. Otaza
I promise to come to you and you will receive the programs that are reserved for you. And you don't have to pay for it because all the services are free for you." - Mayor Lorife Otaza (Translated with Google)
The quoted texts above are the statements of Mayor Aping when she delivered her speech at the Caravan.
Kasing-kasing ni Aping Caravan is an initiative of the current Municipal Mayor of Loreto, Agusan del Sur. This started in her first term and is being continued in her second term to reach all the members of the society in Loreto including those living in the far-flung communities to achieve inclusive and sustainable development.
The Caravan began on September 28, 2022. Mayor's team with the Vice Mayor, Sangguniang Bayan members, and other MLGU employees/staff, went to the Barangays Sta. Teresa, San Mariano, Sabud, and Kasapa to provide the following services:
Municipal Nutrition Action Office: Feeding Program
Rural Health Unit: Free check-ups and medicines, vaccination, free circumcision
Agriculture: Free vitamins and dewormer for animals, free vegetable seedlings, free farming, and livestock handling consultation, RSBSA Application, and PCIC Insurance Application
BPLO: Business Permit Issuance
Local Civil Registrar: Birth Registration
LORIFE: Scholarship Application, Technical Driving Course Application
PhilHealth: Oplan Rehistro
PESO: OWWA membership, free manicure, pedicure, and haircut
The Journey
The photo below shows how the local government employees travel to reach the location of the target sector of the Caravan. The vehicle is locally called "habal-habal" or "skylab". This kind of bicycle is commonly used in places where 4-wheeled vehicles are impossible to go on track because the road is too small or muddy.
In 2021, the proportion of people living in poverty in the Philippines rose by around 18.1% or 20 million people. It was posted on the US News website.
In the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) article, "Caraga Region’s poverty incidence among the population worsened from 35.2 percent in the first semester of 2018 to 38.3 percent in the first semester of 2021, which translated to 117,008 more Caraganons living in poverty. The imposition of stringent community quarantines due to the pandemic, which impacted economic activities, contributed to increased poverty incidence, among others."
In another NEDA article, Agusan del Sur is one of the top 10 poorest provinces in the Caraga region. Loreto is part of Agusan del Sur. The poverty incidence in the Municipality in the 2018 CBMS (draft) is 56.96%.
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| In the photo: Mayor Aping and the senior citizens |
The rise in the poverty rate is attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. This brought more suffering, especially to the vulnerable groups in the communities in Loreto such as the senior citizens and the children.
According to the United Nations Development Program, under the Human Development Index (HDI), "...people and their capabilities should be the ultimate criteria for assessing the development of a country" aside from economic growth.
As a proactive leader, the Mayor took action and brought government services to the far-flung communities.
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| In the photo is Mayor Aping giving gifts to the kids. |
As a woman who cares a lot for children and old aged people, she enthusiastically and passionately convinced her team to go to the stated communities and provide the best public services they could provide to them.
The smiles of the children above are one of the reasons they are motivated to give their best to give the best government services.
