First Lady gives ‘Lab for All’ in Zambales

First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos shows how the government cares for the people.

FIRST Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos (2nd from left, front row) gets a token vegetables from the Department of Agriculture-Central Luzon (DA-CL). With her are Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta (left, front row) and (from left, back row) DA Undersecretary for Livestock Deogracias Victor B. Savellano, Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council executive director Rene ‘Butch’ Madarang, DA-CL regional technical director for Operations and Extensions Arthur Dayrit and DA-CL field operations chief Elma Mananes. Also in the photo are Lab for All beneficiaries.PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF DA-CL

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.”

FIRST Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos (center) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Deputy Administrator Mary Melanie Quiño (2nd from left) with representatives of Gilas Bitas Farmers Association and OFW Family Circle Sitio Santa Cruz, San Jose, Tarlac, both beneficiaries of a P1-million Tulong PUSO Livelihood Grant from OWWA. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF OWWA-RWO 3

PHILHEALTH staff register Zambales residents as member of the health insurance agency.PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PHILHEALTH

TESDA staff shows how to run and maintain a hydroponics farming system.PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF TESDA

STAFF of National Housing Authority assist a beneficiary of an emergency housing assistance.PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF NHA

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.