Subic Bay Freeport — Inclusive public service not only benefits everyone but also provides everything under the sun for free. More than 6,000 residents of Zambales, including employees of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and their dependents, got a taste of the government’s brand of social assistance when First Lady Marie Louise Liza Araneta-Marcos brought her “Lab for All Caravan” to the Subic Bay Exhibition Convention Center on 21 May.

Of course, the caravan also brought together government agencies and private donors to provide not only the most comprehensive public service beyond free medical consultations and medicines.

Araneta-Marcos thanked the national government agencies that participated in “Lab for All” and local officials of Zambales, Pampanga and Bataan for showing unity in helping their constituents. To symbolize their bayanihan spirit, Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda, Pampanga Vice Governor Lilia Pineda, Bataan Representative Geraldine Roman, Zambales First District Representative Jay Khonghun, SBMA chairman and administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño and other elected officials dance, to the jingle of “Lab for All.”

Among the free services given were cataract and pterygium surgeries from CALMA Missions; P200,000 worth of assistive devices/wheelchairs and P100,000 worth of medicines from the Development Bank of the Philippines; mentorship sessions on small businesses or livelihoods from Go Negosyo; medical consultations, laboratories and medicines from the Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation Inc. and Lucio Tan Group; P165,000 worth of scholarship grants from the Commission on Higher Education; vegetable seeds and RTL chicken starter kits from the Department of Agriculture; an overseas job fair from the Department of Migrant Workers; medical consultations from the Department of Health and Department of the Interior and Local Government; food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development; business coaching and registration from the Department of Trade Industry; processing of license and vehicle registration from the Land Transportation Office; emergency housing assistance from the National Housing Authority; financial assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration; legal consultation and notary from the Public Attorney’s Office; lotto tickets, charitimba food packs and P150,000 worth of medicines from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office; membership from PhilHealth; P109 million worth of scholarship grants, P224,119 worth of starter toolkits, P187,500 worth of training support fund, and skills demonstration on robotics, network cabling, game web development, barista services, solar smart homes, hydroponics and organic farming from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; and burgers and beverages from Pampanga Board Member Mylene Pineda Cayabyab.

Other donors are the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, ARS Marketing, Farron Café, Global Terminal and Development Inc., Global Water Foundation, Glomar Manufacturing, Inner Wheel Club, Integrated Philippine Association of Optometrists, Japan Tobacco International, Lifecore Institute of Biointegrative Medicine, Paroli Soliman Paroli Eyecare, Waycon Builders and Construction Supply Corp., Kent and Zeny Sy, and Food and Drug Administration.