Despite being placed under the jurisdiction of Taguig City by the Supreme Court (SC), residents of the 10 EMBO barangays consisting of Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo, Pitogo, Northside, Southside, and Rizal, can now have free access to Makati City's Lingkod Bayan Caravan regularly scheduled on Saturday in a selected barangay, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay said Thursday, Feb. 8.

Mayor Abby Binay

Binay explained that starting Feb. 12, four barangay health centers will be operating from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. instead of the usual 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, to accommodate both Makati residents and EMBO residents. These are the health centers in Bangkal, Poblacion, Kasilawan and Guadalupe Nuevo.

“We have been receiving numerous complaints from EMBO residents about (the) lack of access to basic health services. We are also concerned for residents and senior citizens who can no longer avail themselves of free, unlimited dialysis sessions and free maintenance medicines which Makati provides,” Binay said.   

Makati's Lingkod Bayan Caravan offers free checkups, x-ray, ECG, FBS, blood typing, and free medicines, pet vaccination, pet microchipping, legal aid, job fair, and assistance from utility companies Meralco and Manila Water.

Senior citizens with valid senior citizen cards from the EMBO barangays will also continue to enjoy free laboratory, imaging, and diagnostic services at OsMak, in line with the Universal Health Care Law of 2019.

The mayor explained she has ordered all concerned frontline offices of the city government to accommodate EMBO residents in the caravans scheduled throughout the year.

"Although these barangays are no longer under Makati's jurisdiction, the City is still dedicated to ensuring the well-being of all residents, past and present,” Binay said.

“We gladly welcomed hundreds of EMBO residents who came all the way to District 1 to avail themselves of free health services and other benefits offered during each caravan,” she added.

Binay urged residents to monitor the Makati's Facebook page for updates on the schedule and location of the city’s multi-service caravan noting that a good number of EMBO residents turned up at the first two caravans this year held in Barangays Poblacion and Urdaneta. 

"Even though the EMBO barangays are no longer under Makati, we feel it is our moral responsibility to ensure their access to essential health services. Our care and support extend beyond geographical boundaries," the three-term mayor said.

Other medical assistance

Aside from the free access to the Lingkod Bayan Caravan services, Binay revealed that the city government is also considering holding medical missions to further accommodate the laboratory and diagnostics needs of EMBO residents. These activities can be done periodically to relieve the financial burden of medical expenses on the former Makatizens.

"We understand the financial strain medical expenses can place on families, especially in these challenging times. Our proposed activities aim to bridge this gap for the EMBO residents, providing much-needed relief and support," Binay said.

The city government had earlier announced the launching of free consultations for EMBO residents at all barangay health centers and at the Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) following a series of complaints from the affected residents about inadequate health services.

“We also encourage EMBO residents to take advantage of the free consultations at all Makati health centers and OsMak. They can go to the nearest health center to schedule an appointment,” the mayor said.