Ilocos Norte brings gov't services to the barrios

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines  -- An outreach program bringing all the provincial government services to the remotest barrios has started in Ilocos Norte.

Launched in Banna town Thursday last week, the campaign “Manang Imee’s capitol express” is Gov. Imee Marcos’s bid to deliver priority projects to the grassroots level.

“I made this program because I wanted to  our development programs and services from the capitol to reach the remote areas of the province with the indigents as our priority beneficiaries,” Marcos told the state-run Philippine Information Agency-Ilocos Norte.

Edwin Cariño, head of the Millennium Development Goals office at Capitol said the program was considered as a one–stop-shop package committed to bring government closer to the people “inclusive and sustainable growth of the province”.

“If they can’t come to the capitol, the capitol will go to them,” Cariño said, adding that some residents are still unaware and unable to avail themselves of the services offered by the provincial government owing the problem of accessibility.

According to Cariño, services covered by the ‘express’ are subdivided into three: ‘jobs and livelihood’, ‘tulong’ which caters to education, health, death and burial, barangay requests, legal consultation, social counseling, services for senior citizens and handicapped and ‘documentation’ which includes the assistance on land titling, and other kinds of application for certification.

The ‘capitol express’ is composed of personnel and representatives of capitol departments or offices. Its task is to either render the corresponding frontline services that can be done on-site such as conduct blood pressure testing or conduct application and assessment in cases where the service requires validation or referral.

During its launching Thursday in Banna town, hundreds of residents queued for direct services readily available, said Carino.