ILOILO City – The goal of the city government’s community outreach program “Pag-ulikid sang Syudad” is to serve all residents, no one should be left behind, according to Mayor Jose Espinosa III.
Nearly a thousand residents benefited from the program over the weekend – over 4,000 in Barangay Balantang and over 2,000 in Barangay Democracia both in Jaro district, and 2,500 in Barangay Hibao-an Sur, Mandurriao district.
“Ang aton pag–ulikid sa barangay, tanan-tanan ginaserbisyohan ta. Walang iwanan,” Espinosa told Barangay Democracia beneficiaries who availed themselves of free city government services such as medical checkup, tooth extraction and circumcision.
Identification cards for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) were also freely distributed, while those with concerns over their birth certificates were accommodated.
“Ang mga pigado nga pumoluyo sang barangay wala gid naton ginakalimtan,” Espinosa told residents of Barangay Balantang. “Ini bulig sa pamilyang Pilipino.”
The community outreach program also offered free legal consultation, sports equipment and wheelchairs for the elderly and PWDs.
“Gakalipay gid kita nga magbalik para maghatag sang serbisyo direkta sa aton mga pumoluyo, sa aton nga mga senior citizens. Ang ini nga mga proyekto diretso gid sa inyo,” Espinosa told beneficiaries in Barangay Hibao-an Sur, Mandurriao.
According to City Administrator Hernando Galvez, “Pag-ulikid” is letting the people feel that the government is working for them.
This was the first time in the city’s history that city hall services were directly brought to the people, according to Galvez.
The city mayor thought of this program after an encounter with a senior citizen who, because of old age, could not personally go to city hall to secure an identification card, he revealed./PN
