Mandaue City, Cebu – Over 1,500 housing beneficiaries from Cebu and Mandaue City took part in the 31st National Housing Authority (NHA) People’s Caravan: Serbisyong Dala ay Pag-asa held at the Mandaue City Sports Complex.
The caravan brought together beneficiaries from key housing projects such as the Senior San Roque Resettlement Project, GMA Ville Lot 110, Sambag Ville 2, Tisa-Punta Princesa Phases 1 and 2, Pagsabungan Unity Homeowners Association, Sacred Heart Ville, Canduman Housing Project, and nearby communities.
Since its launch in 2023, the People’s Caravan, spearheaded by NHA General Manager Joeben A. Tai, has already served more than 57,000 beneficiaries nationwide. Now on its 15th run this year, the initiative continues to provide essential services directly to communities, promoting comfort, convenience, and sustainable living.
Services and partnerships
A total of 31 government and private partners joined the caravan, offering a wide array of services. Beneficiaries availed of civil registry and identification services from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and PhilSys, NBI clearances, LTO driver’s licenses, DTI online business registration, and verification of profiles from PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG Fund, and SSS.
On health and wellness, participants received free medical and dental checkups, medicines, eye screening and eyeglasses, haircuts, family planning consultations, cancer screening, and hygiene kits from agencies including the Department of Health (DOH), Commission on Population and Development (CPD), Philippine Red Cross, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, among others.
TESDA and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) also provided vocational training, skills demonstrations, and scholarship opportunities, while the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and Mandaue PESO organized a job fair. Many applicants were hired on the spot, highlighting the fair’s success.
Other services included free legal assistance from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), affordable farm-to-market goods and starter kits from the Department of Agriculture, financial aid worth P654,000 from the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program for 654 pre-registered beneficiaries, as well as environmental advocacy efforts by the DENR. The DICT also introduced its eGov Superapp and provided free internet access at the event.
Leadership and local support
The caravan was led by NHA Assistant General Manager Alvin S. Feliciano, alongside Region 7 Regional Manager Engr. Hermes Jude D. Juntilo and Cebu District Officer-in-Charge Engr. Dante U. Estrobo. They were joined by Mandaue City Councilor Atty. Joel Seno, who represented Mayor Thadeo Jovito Ouano, and Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival.
The NHA is set to bring its People’s Caravan to Davao de Oro and Albay later this month, continuing its mission of reaching more communities nationwide.