(Photos courtesy of Malabon City Public Information Office)
QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -- Some 4,000 beneficiaries received their "Ahon Blue Card" from the City Government of Malabon which has started the distribution of its unified citizen ID on Wednesday (Feb. 22).
The first batch of beneficiaries belong to the 94,000 total number of household heads who registered and among the approximately 400,000 population of Malabon City.
In October 2022, the idea of creating an electronic system to expedite the delivery of social services stemmed from the city government’s experience during the height of the pandemic when distribution of emergency financial assistance faced various challenges.
“Ang mga nabatid ko mula sa mga karanasan natin noong pandemya ay dinala ko sa aking mga pangarap para sa lungsod ng Malabon. Nitong pandemya ay naging pamilyar tayong lahat sa konsepto ng ayuda. Ang national government at ang pamahalaang lokal ay nagtulong-tulong upang matiyak na maitatawid ng mamamayan ang pang-araw-araw na pangagailangan sa kabila ng mga lockdown at kawalan ng trabaho (I carried with me all the lessons from our experiences during the pandemic towards the realization of my visions for Malabon City. During the phase of the pandemic, we became familiar with the concept of social amelioration. The national and local government worked hand-in-hand to ensure that the citizens are able to make ends meet despite the lockdowns and loss of livelihood),” said Mayor Jeannie Sandoval.
Some of the challenges met were the long queues in the distribution areas and beneficiaries who reportedly spent the financial aid on their vices instead of necessities.
With this in mind, the Malabon local government designed the blue card in a way that can only be used to purchase essential goods and acquire social aids.
“Ang Malabon Ahon Blue Card na ipapamahagi natin ngayong araw ay sasagot sa maraming suliranin na kinaharap natin sa pamamahagi ng ayuda nitong pandemya (The Malabon Ahon Blue Card that we will distribute today offers solutions to the various setbacks we faced during the distribution of social assistance in the time of pandemic)” Mayor Sandoval explained.
“Ang blue card na ito ay tungkol sa pagkakaroon ng dignidad ng bawat isa sa kabila ng mga hamon at pagsubok sa buhay. Walang sinuman ang dapat pinapipila sa pagkahaba-haba para lang makakuha ng pagkain. Sa blue card na ito, hindi na kailangan magsiksikan dahil maaari itong gamitin sa mga pamilihan sa ano mang oras na naisin (This blue card is about having a sense of dignity in spite of life’s challenges. No one should experience queuing in long lines just to secure food. Through this blue card, there is no need to huddle in a crowd because it can be used anytime you need),” she added, emphasizing that all bona fide residents of Malabon are entitled to have a blue card.
The registration and verification phase of the Ahon Blue Card took place in January 2023 through the City Social Welfare and Development Department (CSWDD) under the directive of officer-in-charge Lorelei Soriano.
Aside from the distribution of the unified citizen ID, city Mayor Sandoval also launched ‘Let’s Connect TXTMJS’ a project which aims to provide a mechanism for citizens to connect with the local government. via text message.
Through ‘Let’s Connect TXTMJS’, Malabon residents can send their queries and air their grievances, sentiments, and suggestions to the administration.
A tourism mobile application to further modernize the delivery of government services in the city is also being developed and will soon be launched, according to the city government. (PIA-NCR)
