A total of 802 residents in Brgy.648, Islamic Center in Manila availed medical and other social services which were jointly initiated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development – National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR), District VI Representative Hon., Rosenda Ann Ocampo, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), and the barangay and local government of the said area.
The Medical Mission cum Service Caravan is a convergence initiative among different service providers from NGAs and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) including Civil Military Affairs Brigade (CMAB) of AFP, Serbisyong Bayani, Manila Medical Society and Philippine Pharmaceutical Companies and Health Care Foundation (PHAPCares).
Held today at the Manila Grand Mosque in San Miguel Manila, where majority of the residents are Muslim, the services offered during the activity include medical, dental, and eye check-ups, birth registration, legal and marriage counselling, issuance of Senior Citizen, PWD and solo parent IDs, Sustainable Livelihood and Social Pension program orientations and feeding program.
Among the said services, medical check-up and birth registration has the most number of clients served with a total of 519 residents benefited.
This initiative will serve as the model approach in bringing services to Muslim communities in urban areas which is a realization of partnership among DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, NCMF Secretary Yasmin Busran-Lao, OPAPP Secretary Teresita Deles and Congresswoman Ocampo.
In his welcome remarks, Brgy. 648 Chairman Faiz A. Macabato expressed gratefulness for the preferential attention of the government and other CSOs that services were finally brought to their community.
DSWD-NCR OIC-Assistant Regional Director Jacel J.Paguio in her message, acknowledges the volunteers from public and private sectors who responded to the call in conducting the medical cum service caravan in the area as an initial engagement with barangay 648.
This is part of the quick response of the government on the identified needs of the community based on the Socio-Economic and Health Assistance assessment conducted by NCMF in Brgy. 648, Manila on March 2015 wherein the community was found to be vulnerable and underserved with 88% of the 1, 052 respondents are suffering from extreme poverty.
The second leg of the activity will be held in May 31, 2015 to continuously serve the residents of the area especially those who were not able to participate in today’s event. ###