Residents in at least 31 barangays in the town of Roxas received free health and government services as the provincial government of Palawan rolled out its YAKAP Program there on January 28.
YAKAP, short for Yugto ng Alaga, Kalinga, Aruga ng Pamahalaan, began in Barangays Jolo and Tinitian as part of a province-wide caravan that brings basic services directly to communities.
The program was led by Governor Amy Alvarez and involves various provincial departments and partner agencies.
During the launch in Roxas, residents availed themselves of medical consultations, tooth extraction, circumcision services, eye check-ups, legal assistance, senior citizen and PWD profiling, and the distribution of medicines, vitamins, and vegetable seeds. Scholarship assistance was also extended to qualified students.
In a video post, the governor said all services under the program are provided at no cost and urged residents to make use of the opportunity whenever the caravan reaches their barangay.
“Every time nag-iikot kami sa barangay, libre po ito. Lahat ng services ay libre po,” she said.
Government agencies present during the activity included PhilHealth, the Social Security System, and the municipal civil registrar, which processed birth certificate applications on site. Alvarez stressed the importance of birth registration for accessing government assistance.
“Kailangan na kailangan natin ng birth certificate sa mga anak natin,” she said.
Roxas Mayor Pedy Sabando, along with municipal officials, welcomed the YAKAP team, joined by First District Board Members Maria Angela Sabando and Cherry Pie Acosta.
