More than 1,500 Pasigueños received medical and government assistance as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Marcos brought the Lab For All project to Pasig City on Thursday.
This is the first time Marcos joined his wife in the Lab For All caravan — an initiative led by the First Lady.
"I am so happy that I was able to join my First Lady here in the Lab For All,” Marcos said.
“I only hear about my wife's wonderful project in reports to me… Now I am a witness to the service it provides," he added.
The Chief Executive also thanked the First Lady for the Lab For All program.
"Thank you very much for your help in advancing our healthcare system. I am also very fortunate that the one I married also wants to help others and the country," Marcos shared.
According to the Department of Health (DoH), there are 7,063 Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs). With the Lab For All program, the government hopes they can bring much needed services, especially healthcare to those who need it.
"What we thought of is that instead of waiting for those who are sick to go to the hospitals, we will bring the service to them so that they have healthcare [services] even in far places," he said.
Since 2023, the government has brought Lab For All in 35 locations across the archipelago.
Under this initiative, government services provided is not only limited to healthcare services as other agencies join the caravan.
The Commission on Higher Education have set up booths to help students with scholarships, the National Housing Authority and Pag-ibig help in giving Filipinos homes, and the Land Transportation assist drivers get their driver's license.
Meanwhile, three mobile laboratories donated by the Metrobank Foundation and the Toyota Foundation were turned over to Sta. Catalina, Ilocos Sur, Tacloban City and Pasig City.
These vehicles carry top-of-the-line x-ray and ultrasound machines, portable urine analyzer, glucose and cholesterol monitor.
Marcos also encouraged attendees to maintain a healthy life.
"Let's take care of ourselves. Let's take advantage of projects like this and the services in health centers so that we can monitor our health," he said.
"The strongest resources are not the flesh of our pocket, but the strength of our body, the vitality of our mind, the health of our heart," he added.