2019

This is an Entry to the Government Best Practice Recognition Awards

Title

Serbisyong Tama Caravan

Organization

Provincial Government of Laguna

Summary

In November 2014 the Serbisyong Tama Caravan started, a brain-child of then newly-appointed Governor  Ramil L. Hernandez, bringing basic social services to the people, institutionalizing it to make sure that no one is left behind and that marginalized people’s needs are well taken care of.  Driven by his vision to make the Provincial Government’s programs and services accessible to every Lagunenses, he spearheaded the program identifying the underprivileged and underserved localities. It is an effective program that brings the basic services and facilities directly to its people.

Background and Problem

Medical and Dental Mission have also been conducted in other provinces, but the Provincial Government of Laguna felt the need to bring the basic services urgently needed by its people so the administration decided to regularly conduct Serbisyong Tama Caravan to service the poorest of the poor and directly give services to people living especially in far-flung areas. The caravan offers a wide variety of services in different places, from the urban areas up to the most remote barangays of the province where services are needed most.  Through the Serbisyong Tama Caravan, the Provincial Government, in coordination with all the adjunct offices, offer free dental, optical, medical services, free medicines, feeding program, libreng gupit, free legal assistance, and other basic services, providing an avenue in giving basic social services.

Likewise, people get to directly communicate with the Governor during the Caravan. The caravan runs once a week during its onset but later during the second quarter of 2018, the caravan started to be conducted twice a week to be able to reach more clients. The initiative was found to be creative, effective, innovative in terms of delivery of basic services to its people.

Solution and Impact

Key benefits directly resulting from this initiative for people

In the Provincial Government of Laguna’s bid to improve and uplift the living conditions of its people, this Administration’ is conceptualized programs that shall be more responsive and shall immediately resolve minor medical needs and other basic social services urgently needed by its marginalized constituents. Since the assumption of Office of the newly elected Governor in 2014, Governor Ramil L. Hernandez has conceptualized provision of a service caravan, popularly known as Serbisyon Tama Caravan that aims to provide a wide array of services directly to its people so they can avail without any worries of transportation expenses and physical exhaustion from long travel and the like.

From the year 2016, the number of people served through the Serbisyong Tama Caravan has reached 482,292, providing a variety of programs and services ranging from free medical, dental, and optical services. The Caravan also serves as the venue for conducting Health assistance programs relative to the Provincial Government’s various health advocacies including cancer prevention programs, population, and Development Integration and other Advocacy Campaigns. As a result, more people were reached, their immediate medical needs were resolved and other basic services were readily met.

Milestones

The Serbisyong Tama Caravan benefited and has served

  •  A total of 480,545 individuals from 2016-2018
  •  (144,184 in 2016; 90,316 in 2017; and 246,045 in 2018, respectively.
  •  From January 2019 to August 2019, the PGL has served 42,144 for Medical, Dental, Optical needs; 2013 – availed the Libreng Gupit Program; 17,250 – Feeding Program

Awards

  • Outstanding Governor of the Philippines (for Social Services) in 2018 and 2019 given by Social Worker Association of the Philippines
  • Seal of Good Local Governance Award (SGLG-Hall of Famer) for three consecutive years(2016, 2017, and 2018)given by DILG
  • Lingkod Regional Development Council Award on June 9, 2016

To upkeep the basic services rendered, the PGL plans to uplift the living condition of its people by providing enhanced social services. Increased budgetary resources shall also be allocated which shall target a bigger number of beneficiaries of the program.