First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), extended aid to families who lost loved ones in the recent onslaught of severe tropical storm “Kristine” in Talisay, Batangas on Sunday.
In a message delivered by Undersecretary for Operations Monina Josefina Romualdez, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian reaffirmed the government’s commitment to assisting affected communities until full recovery.
He emphasized the importance of collaboration between the national government, local government units, and the private sector, such as DigiPlus Interactive, in delivering timely and effective assistance.
“ Just like what our beloved President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. always says, our government is ready to help until you can rise again and return to your normal way of life,” Gatchalian said.
“We can feel in our gathering today the full cooperation of our government and society, which is also being championed by our beloved President,” he added.
The “Libreng Laboratoryo, Konsulta, at Gamot Para sa Lahat” (LAB for ALL) program, spearheaded by Mrs. Marcos, DSWD and DigiPlus Interactive, provided food, non-food items and cash assistance to the bereaved families.
Each family received 25 kilos of rice, water, medical kits, grocery items and family food packs. Additionally, DigiPlus Interactive provided cash assistance to support burial expenses and home repairs.
The DSWD had previously provided P10,000 in burial assistance to each bereaved family during a visit by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Secretary Gatchalian.
Also present with Mrs. Marcos during the aid distribution were DSWD Undersecretary for Disaster Response Management Group Diana Rose Cajipe, Assistant Secretary for Regional Operations Paul Ledesma and DSWD-CALABARZON Regional Director Barry Chua.
Local officials present at the event included Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas, Vice Governor Mark Leviste, Talisay, Batangas Mayor Nestor Natanauan and Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez.
Mrs. Marcos also recently met with CareSpan Asia Inc. and highlighted the growing importance of technology in bridging healthcare gaps and advancing the “Lab for ALL” program. She emphasized the company’s alignment with the program’s goals of providing accessible, high-quality healthcare to all Filipinos.
“My meeting with CareSpan Asia reminded me so much of why we started our ‘Lab for ALL’ program — to bridge the gap in healthcare access for every Filipino.”
“With initiatives like theirs, we’re moving closer to a digitalized future where quality care is just a click away, reaching even the farthest communities,” Mrs. Marcos said.
CareSpan Asia’s integrated digital care platform leverages advanced technology to transform healthcare delivery, improve efficiency and expand access to medical services, particularly in underserved and remote areas. By integrating telemedicine, electronic health records and other digital tools, the platform enables healthcare providers to offer more comprehensive care and reduce barriers to access.