ILOILO City – The community outreach program “Pag-ulikid Sang Syudad” of the city government served four more barangays in the district of Jaro. It benefited more than 7,000 residents over the weekend.
In barangays MV Hechanova and Buhang, over 3,000 people availed themselves of government frontline services for free such as dental and medical checkup, issuance of identification cards for senior citizens, dog anti-rabies vaccination, and neutering.
Over 2,000 residents in Barangay Tagbak enjoyed these services, too, plus the issuance of solo parent identification cards, marriage certificates and birth certificates, and free legal services.
Free wheelchairs for persons with disabilities and the elderly and sports equipment to the youth were distributed, too.
In Barangay MH Del Pilar and Barangay San Pedro, over 2,300 people were served.
Last month, the city government included services catering to the Social Security System concerns of residents such as retirement benefit, death benefit, funeral claim, availment of sickness benefit, maternity benefit, and registration for SSS membership, among others.
Another “Pag-ulikid” innovation is the free civil wedding officiated by Mayor Jose Espinosa III himself.
The community outreach program does not discriminate. It is inclusive and not selective, stressed Espinosa.
He denied that the program had political undertones.
“There is no politics in ‘Pag-ulikid’. We don’t discuss that. Ask the people we have already served,” said Espinosa.
The 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.
“May politika o waay politika, kinahanglan ang serbisyo sa pumuluyo ara. This innovation naton will continue,” said Espinosa./PN
