SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union, Feb. 8 (PIA) – First Lady Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos led the Laboratoryo, Konsulta, at Gamot para sa Lahat (Lab for All) Caravan at the La Union Convention Center on Tuesday, February 6, underscoring the government’s focus to bring essential programs and services down to the grassroots.
 
The Lab for All Caravan, a brainchild of the First Lady, brought medical and social services to around 7,202 people in La Union from February 1 to 6.
 
In her speech, the First Lady underscored the Marcos administration's goal to bring the government closer to the people, reversing the process of people going to government agencies to get assistance.
 
More than just the provision of medical services, Araneta-Marcos says that the caravan pools together the programs and services of government agencies as well as private stakeholders for a more holistic set of interventions for the more than 7,000 individuals assisted.

“Kung mapapansin po ninyo, ang Lab for All program ay hindi lamang tungkol sa pagbibigay ng serbisyo medikal. It’s about bringing other much-needed services to the people (If you notice, the Lab for All program is not only about providing medical services. It's about bringing other much-needed services to the people),” the First Lady said.
 
Araneta-Marcos adds that the Lab for All caravan forms part of the Marcos administration’s vision of unity under the Bagong Pilipinas campaign and that the goal is only possible through the cooperation and support of every Filipino.
 
“[The Bagong Pilipinas] is a masterplan for genuine development for the benefit of all the people… If we are to thrive as a nation, we should start with ourselves [because the] government cannot do it alone,” Araneta-Marcos said.
 
The culminating activity at the La Union Convention Center in San Fernando City, La Union on February 6 was able to cater to the medical and social services needs of around 3,000 individuals from the province.
 
The first three legs of the caravan meanwhile brought medical and social services in the towns of Santo Tomas, Bauang, and Bacnotan on February 1-3, respectively.

The set of caravans in the said towns was able to cater to 4,202 patients, including a total of 6,446 laboratory tests, 552 prescription glasses, 659 dental procedures, and 130 legal consultations.
 
Some of the services provided by partner agencies in the caravan include the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Negosyo Center, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) livelihood programs and skills training, and the Department of Health’s (DOH) medical services.
 
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also brought its social services, including the provision of financial assistance to in-need beneficiaries through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) while the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) provided services and information on inpatient and outpatient benefits of member-beneficiaries.
 
Services for the youth were also provided, including the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and their information-dissemination campaign on Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act which provides free higher education, free technical-vocational education and training through the TESDA, tertiary education subsidy, and student loan program.
 
Personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) also assisted in the provision of medical services to beneficiaries, including the checking of blood pressure and oxygen level monitoring.

The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) meanwhile offered free legal consultation while other agencies who also provided their set of assistance include the National Housing Authority (NHA), the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
 
Araneta-Marcos also highlighted the support given by the private sector, noting how their assistance to the caravan ensures that more people are covered and assisted.
 
Some of the private sector partners who participated in the caravan include AstraZeneca through their urine tests, the Inner Wheel Club and their provision of 300,000 worth of vitamins for children, and Lifecore’s donation of 2,000 hematology, complete blood count (CBC), and X-rays, among others.
 

In a video message played during the event, La Union Governor Raphaelle Veronica “Rafy” Ortega-David expressed her gratitude for the assistance provided to her constituents while also vowing to continue to align with the Marcos administration’s vision for the development of the country.
 
“Makakaasa po kayo na dito sa La Union, we are aligned with the call of the national government for unity. This is why we also have our localized version of coming together that we call La Union Probinsyanihan (You can count on it here in La Union, we are aligned with the call of the national government for unity. This is why we also have our localized version of coming together that we call La Union Probinsyanihan),” Ortega-David said.
 
Bibiana Nares, 79, from Bangar town and one of the individuals who was given medical assistance on Tuesday, meanwhile said the assistance provided for her eyes, including the provision of eye drops and other medicines to manage her cataracts and glaucoma, is timely given her struggles to make ends meet for her medicines.
 
“Daytoy intedda a pagsayaatan ket nagdakkel a yamanko ken dagitoy nangted ti agagas kadakami. Ni Apo Dios lang koma met ti mangtartarabay kanyadan (These medicines provided are a big help and I thank them for what they provided. May God guide them always),” Nares said. (JCR/MJTAB/AMB/CCMT, PIA La Union)