To make its services more accessible to Filipinos, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Monday, May 8, opened its second extension office in Tondo, Manila.
(Photo from the Office of the Vice President)
Vice President Sara Duterte was present to lead the opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of the OVP’s Public Assistance Division Tondo Extension Office.
The office, located in Barangay 101 along Mel Lopez Boulevard, is aimed at intensifying the Medical and Burial (MAB) assistance offered by the OVP.
In her message, Duterte said the Tondo office will allow the OVP to reach and provide assistance to residents in the highly dense communities of Manila.
“Ginawa po namin ito dahil alam namin na marami sa ating mga kababayan na naninirahan dito ang nangangailangan ng mga serbisyo at programa mula sa ating pamahalaan (We did these all because we know that many of our countrymen who live here need the services and programs from our government),” she explained.
“Patunay po ito ng aming hangarin sa Office of the Vice President na mapagsilbihan po kayo at mabigyan kayo ng tulong sa pamamagitan ng mga programa at proyekto na ipinapatupad namin ngayon (This is proof of the goal of the Office of the Vice President to serve and provide you with help through our programs and projects that we are executing now),” she added.
Photos released by the OVP showed Duterte was interacting with Tondo residents and other beneficiaries.
The OVP opened its first extension office in Lipa, Batangas last April 18.
Duterte’s office has already established eight satellite offices in the cities of Dagupan, Cebu, Tacloban, Zamboanga, Davao, Bacolod, Tandag, and Cauayan.
Currently, it offers programs, such as Medical and Burial (MAB) Assistance, PagbaBAGo Campaign, Libreng Sakay, Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day, and Peace 911.
As of May 4, the OVP’s Public Assistance Division has already processed a total of P449.52 million for the medical and burial assistance program.
A total of P398,747,777 and P50,775,000 have already been processed for medical aid and burial assistance, respectively, with a total of 48,157 recipients served through the OVP Central Office and the eight satellite offices around the country.
The OVP said the eight satellite offices and two extension offices were established to make sure that services it offers will not only be concentrated in the National Capital Region but will also reach other areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.