NHA’s last People’s Caravan draws 2,120 in Iligan

The National Housing Authority (NHA) on Sunday said it brought its last People’s Caravan of the year to Iligan City, held at the Townsite Gymnasium in Purok 13, Barangay Dalipuga.

More than 2,120 beneficiaries from nearby NHA resettlement sites and surrounding communities joined and benefited from the caravan.

An initiative of NHA General Manager Joeben A. Tai, the People’s Caravan: “Serbisyong Dala ay Pag-Asa” aims to bring together public and private agencies to deliver programs closer to housing beneficiaries and nearby communities.

Guided by Tai, NHA Region 10 Officer-in-Charge Engr. Homer T. Cezar led the program. It was attended by Chief-of-Staff Jules Verne Padilla, representing Iligan City Mayor Frederick W. Siao, along with Dalipuga Chairperson Nilda C. Hamoy and officials from the Iligan local government and the agency.

Participants availed themselves of services offered by 23 partner agencies from the public and private sectors.

Several agencies offered free medical consultations, dental missions, free maintenance medicines, haircuts, and a bloodletting event, including the Department of Health; the Armed Forces of the Philippines 1st Infantry Division and 503rd Combat Engineer Battalion; the Philippine Red Cross; and the City Health Office of Iligan.

Attendees were also accommodated in various business-related services, including business name registration and MSME program orientation from the Department of Trade and Industry; information on TUPAD, DILP/Kabuhayan, SPES, and career coaching from the Department of Labor and Employment; welfare assistance and reintegration program orientation from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration; a mini job fair from the Public Employment Service Office; and loan application assistance from the Small Business Corporation.

For education and skills, beneficiaries learned about the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program, S&T Scholarship Programs, and STARBOOKS from the Department of Science and Technology; free scholarship assistance and skills demonstrations from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; and theoretical driving courses with student permit issuance from the Land Transportation Office.

Affordable farm-to-market products and rice were also sold through the Department of Agriculture–Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division’s KADIWA on Wheels. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources distributed free fruit and forestry seedlings, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development provided 1,500 family food packs.

Basic registration services were offered by the Philippine Statistics Authority and PhilSys, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG Fund, and the Social Security System. Other services included free legal consultations and affidavit of loss issuance from the Public Attorney’s Office, and Wi-Fi services and eGov PH App/SIM registration from the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

The Iligan City Police Station, Housing and Resettlement Office–Iligan LGU, and Barangay Dalipuga provided logistics, security, and emergency standby support throughout the event.

This caravan is the agency’s 21st this year and the 37th overall since the initiative was launched on 15 September 2023. Working closely with public and private partners, the caravan continues to support sustainable community development and contributes to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s vision of a Bagong Pilipinas.