GUEST COLUMNIST
By Mayor Francis Zamora
Historically, a caravan is a group of people or a company of travelers, particularly traders or pilgrims traveling together from one place to another to transport their goods or go to a place of worship.
We can also see biblical references to caravans, which includes a caravan of clans and tribes and the caravan of trades. There was even caravan traffic that happened due to the unstable political conditions in the time of judges. In all those instances, caravans traveled in a procession either for a holiday or a mission, or for both.
How a caravan hurdled challenges and accomplished its desired purposes in the olden days fascinated me. This led me to the idea for the next big project I envisioned for San Juan. Something that will bring together our public servants, who will be delivering goods and services to different parts of the city with the end goal that wherever this caravan shall go, the people in that area will feel the governance of the Local Government Unit.
That is how our Makabagong San Juan Barangay Caravan came into being. It is a “one-stop-shop“ of a wide range of public services which we deliver directly to our constituents—right in the heart of their barangays.
The caravan represents our City Government’s commitment to bring inclusive and comprehensive services to our communities to ensure that every resident, regardless of age or background, has access to what they need. It echoes our commitment to bring the government closer to our people.
As a regular undertaking, it provides free holistic services to the local community, guaranteeing access to essential healthcare, legal assistance, employment opportunities, social services, and more.
Our Makabagong San Juan Barangay Caravan offers free medical services, including tooth extraction and free medicines, even free haircut, alongside a feeding program that promotes the well-being, nutrition and the overall health of our constituents.
Important vaccinations are a priority as well, with Covid-19 shots for young and old, anti-polio, rubella, and measles vaccines for children aged 0-59 months, and flu vaccines for senior citizens. For adolescent girls aged 10-14 we offer HPV vaccine. We have blood typing and sugar testing as well.
The Public Assistance Center is also a part of the caravan. It accepts applications for medical, hospital, burial and financial assistance to address the needs of our constituents.
Furthermore, the caravan facilitates the registration and application process for senior citizen, PWD, health and solo parent identification cards.
The local government unit also tapped the various local agencies to facilitate a wide range of free services: from legal assistance, local civil registry concerns, women’s desk for various women's issues, and immediate police clearance application from our local PNP.
The Population and Development Office (POPDEV) provides free family planning and marriage counselling. Moreover, our City Treasury, Business Permits and Licenses and City Assessment Departments address concerns and queries on taxes and permits.
For job opportunities, we have the Digital Skills Registry System that matches applicants and employers. In San Juan, we implement the “San Juaneño First Policy” that mandates businesses and employers in our city to give priority and preference to San Juaneño workers in their hiring of employees. The Caravan also conducts local recruitment activities where job applicants have the opportunity to be hired on the spot.
In every aspect of life, what matters to San Juaneño families—including their pets—also matters to its city government. That’s why, we also make available anti-rabies vaccinations for cats and dogs in the Caravan.
Our key partnership with the Department of Agriculture’s Kadiwa is one of the most sought-after services whenever the Caravan goes to the barangays. From Kadiwa On Wheels, constituents get the opportunity to purchase vegetables, fruits, eggs, and rice at more affordable prices without having to travel far to public markets.
Our Makabagong San Juan Barangay Caravan is creating a positive and lasting impact on the lives of our constituents as they avail of public service from this ‘satellite city hall’ where all of their needs are addressed just a few steps away from their homes.
I am humbly sharing this program which is one of the best practices of the local government unit of San Juan as I believe that this can be implemented in other LGUs in the country, thus, bringing local governance closer to Filipinos.
(Mayor Francis Zamora of the City of San Juan is the president of the Metro Manila Council, the chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council, the vice chairman of the Regional Development Council, and the regional representative of the National Capital Region in the League of Cities of the Philippines.)