Calamba City, Laguna – The local government here is eyeing to kick off a health caravan dubbed as “Dugong Bayani, Pusong Bayani” in line with the local government’s vision of promoting an overall healthy lifestyle in the city.

Calamba Mayor Ross Rizal disclosed that the caravan will be visiting various barangays to conduct heart and blood check-ups as well as to inform and educate the public about the importance of these procedures and their long-term benefits in avoiding debilitating diseases.

“Through this health caravan, we want to make sure that our fellow Calambeños know that their City Government is here to help them as we are always making efforts to take care of their health and wellness,” said Rizal.

“This has always been part of our advocacy to make sure our citizens are informed of the importance of regular checkups for our blood and our hearts and this project is one way of expressing our love for them this Valentine’s season in Calamba,” he added.

More than being known for being the birthplace of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, Calamba is the most populous city in the province of Laguna and is the regional center of CALABARZON.

The city is currently ranked in the Top 20 Wealthiest Cities in the country as of the 2022 Commission on Audit Financial Report and the city has been experiencing an economic recovery from the pandemic slump through reforms to improve their tourism, commercial, industrial sectors and has been improving steadily over the past years.

Elected in 2022, Rizal has already launched a slew of projects to connect the government’s service directly to its people as part of his collective effort to renew the approach of public service in the City of Calamba.

He has led by example by fostering this culture of participative governance and close collaboration with their citizens, the reforms that are made are closely felt by their constituents.

Entering the new year, he has already launched new programs that addressed the city’s needs in education, by launching institutionalized programs with an Iskolar ni Rizal Program with over 1000 beneficiaries, and Kabuhayan ni Rizal program, aimed to give livelihoods to over 1,600 families.

He has also led the distribution of the Emergency Health Allowances for Barangay Health Workers and other healthcare personnel employed by the city government last Wednesday.

The health caravan, set to start on the last week of February, is a joint initiative of the local government and the private sector which aims to facilitate blood testing, blood donation, and heart check-ups with additional provisions for medication among the citizens of Calamba City.

Volunteers to help this caravan are led by Jeorgiamed Inc., and various healthcare companies, healthcare workers conduct the medical procedures from their partner hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies to provide the medication for the patients.