The Office of the Vice President (OVP) has a new satellite office, this time in Bacolod City, to provide social services for Filipinos in need.
In a media briefing, Vice Presidential Spokesman Reynold Munsayac announced the opening of the OVP’s 7th satellite office in Bacolod after its inauguration on Aug. 1.
It is headed by Dr. Chris Sorongon as Satellite Office Manager.
“OVP continuous to respond to the underlying message that government intervention is critical and necessary as we transport our dreams of inclusive development into a reality,” Munsayac said.
The spokesman noted that they have “scaled up our undertakings to boost our visibility down to the local government units” this week.
On the first day of Duterte in office on July 1, she opened six satellite offices in key cities outside Metro Manila to give people access to social services.
READ: VP Sara brings OVP closer to people thru 6 new satellite offices
These are located in the cities of Dagupan, Cebu, Tacloban, Zamboanga, Davao, and Tandag in Surigao del Sur.
The new addition to the pool of OVP satellite office came two days before the launch of its “Libreng Sakay” program in collaboration with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the private sector.
As of Thursday, OVP has already processed claims for medical and burial assistance amounting to P36,476,494.32 and already released the amount of P11,482,023.40 for its main and satellite offices.
“It has just been a month but we have gone quite farther than expected,” Munsayac said, adding that uniting the Filipinos and serving the country “remains our top interest.”
The OVP’s main social services offered to the public are the medical and burial assistance, but Munsayac expressed openness to providing also a form of ayuda or aid.
Although he pointed at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as the agency for handing out ayuda, he said the OVP can work with the department and other politicians with budget to possibly create a program for financial assistance and aid.