AUTONOMOUS REGION IN MUSLIM MINDANAO

CITY GOVERNMENT OF LAMITAN

LAMITAN CITY, BASILAN PROVINCE

REACHING OUT
SERVING EVERYONE
(ROSE) CARAVAN
An Entry to the Galing Pook Awards 2017

Reaching Out Serving Everyone (ROSE) Caravan is a flagship program of LGU-

Lamitan City under Hon. Rosita U. Furigay which aims to bring government
services right at the doorsteps of its target beneficiaries and which initially started
as a Medical and Dental Mission in 2013 and became a Regular Program of the
LGU in 2014 up to the present. Through the years, it has evolved into a multi-
aspect, multi-sector and multi-stakeholder program true to its mission of Reaching
Out and Serving Everyone regardless of ethnicity, religion and political boundaries.
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REACHING OUT SERVING EVERYONE (ROSE) CARAVAN

An Entry to the Galing Pook Awards 2017

General Information on the Program

1. Title of the Program Reaching Out Serving Everyone (ROSE) Caravan

2. Name of the LGU Implementing the Program City Government of Lamitan

3. Population of the LGU 74,782

4. Income Classification of the LGU 6th Class Component City

5. Profile and Number of the Beneficiaries of the Program

Reaching Out Serving Everyone (ROSE) Caravan is a flagship project of the City of
Lamitan under Mayor Rosita U. Furigay. The program was conceptualized for the weak, needy
and underprivileged people in the communities. The ROSE Caravan aims to bring initially basic
health services like free medicines, supplemental feedings, free medical consultations, and health
and wellness packages to the community level especially the far-flung barangays in Lamitan
City. Set at the backdrop of a volatile peace and order situation and Now, it has evolved as an
effective means of engaging the citizens in the affairs of the government, specifically in terms of
local governance. The project is based on the concept of bringing government services right
before the peoples doorsteps making it more accessible and responsive to the peoples needs.
And since Lamitan City is the catchment area of a number of neighboring municipalities, not
only does it serve its residents but also those people living in the fringes of other adjacent
municipalities.

The target beneficiaries of the program are residents of the far-flung barangays of the
city. Of the 45 total number of barangays of the City of Lamitan, only 11 are metro barangays
and the rest are rural barangays, most of which are hard to reach areas and surrounded by conflict
affected municipalities. These are the target beneficiaries of the program.

To date, the ROSE Caravan has already served more than 26,000 beneficiaries in the
whole of Lamitan not including those beneficiaries from other municipalities in the province of
Basilan. True to its name of Reaching Out Serving Everyone, its services does not discriminate
as to political boundaries, ethnicity, religion or status.

6. Date (Day, Month, and Year) of the Start of the Program June 2013
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7. Financial Profile of the Program in the Previous Year/s (Maximum of 3 Years):
Source of Funds Expenses 2014 2015 2016

Other MOE Medical Consultation 400,000.00 800,000.00

Rose Caravan Medication 740,148.50
(Mayors Office) Supplemental
Feeding
Mobilization
Operational
Total Program Budget 400,000.00 800,000.00
1,000,000.0
0
*Budget does not include other expenses shouldered by sponsors, donors and
benefactors.

Program Brief

(1) Beneficiaries Needs/Problems That the Program Addressed

Lamitan City is the catch basin of commerce, trade, as well as access to quality social
and health services. So, neighboring municipalities with its constituents, avail of these basic
health services in our city. Because of the intensive Information Education Campaigns that has
regularly become part of the ROSE Caravan, the citizens knowledge and awareness of many
health and social issues and the corresponding program/project and services that the LGU
provides, there has been a growing number of service beneficiaries not just of the ROSE Caravan
but our Health Care Programs as well.

This can be deduced from our data on Maternal and Child Health. Our Birthing Facilities
has registered deliveries from other municipalities in an increasing trend. From 2014 up to the
present, they have already served 1,422 deliveries from mothers who are from other
municipalities. They came because they have been made aware of the existence of such services
through the rounds of the ROSE Caravan.

Given these trends in service delivery, there is a need to augment and sustain the
commodities that the LGU readily provides. But focusing on facility-based services will not
provide the kind of universal access to services that we hope to achieve. It would be beneficial if
we devise a way to a more efficient delivery of our services and make it more accessible for all
our clients because quality service is supposed to have no boundaries. And since it is our aim to
provide universal access to government services by reaching out to everyone especially those
who are in the far-flung areas of Lamitan including some citizens from adjacent municipalities
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who do not have anywhere else to go but Lamitan, the ROSE Caravan was conceptualized and it
has been addressing these needs since its operation in 2013.

(2) The Objectives of the Program

Initially, it aims to improve access to basic health services like free medicines,
supplemental feedings, free medical consultations and health and wellness packages to the
community level especially the far-flung barangays in Lamitan City. Now that it has evolved as
an effective means of delivering other government services to the people, right at their doorsteps.
This time, it seeks to reach out to the citizens, keep them engaged in the affairs of the
government and instill a sense of self-accountability amongst them so that they will realize that
to be able to achieve community goals they too have a significant share and active role to play.

(3) Strategies

Through the ROSE Caravan, an effective partnership between various stakeholders,

government line agencies and the barangays was created. It has become a productive venue for
all concerned agencies to get down to the level of the community and discover the needs and
concerns of the different communities that the caravan visits and address immediate concerns
that come up. By bringing the interventions down to the grassroots, the citizens became more
active partners of the local government and participate more actively in the affairs of governance.
The beneficiaries were slowly being organized by sector, duly represented and representatives
were given their roles, duties and responsibilities not only in the conduct of the ROSE Caravan
but also in relation to other affairs of the government.

The ROSE Caravan has evolved into something much bigger than just Health Caravan.
Slowly it has become a very effective means of scoping and responding to all other needs of the
barangays who are in most need of government assistance. What made it effective in reaching
out to everyone is the idea of boundless services initially on health but further branched out to
other social concerns of the community. More accessible and responsive because it is delivered
right at the peoples doorsteps.

Positive Results and Impacts

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The program has been an effective intervention to improve access to basic health
services. Since its implementation in 2013, we have seen improvements in our basic health
indicators. Although these are not direct results, the programs contribution towards achieving
more accessible health services are significant.

Direct and Indirect gains from the ROSE Caravan can be inferred from our key health
indicators showing 2014-2016 data.

Indicators 2014 2015 2016

Facility-Based Deliveries/Birthing Facilities 752 809 834

Home-Based Deliveries 210 118 41

Attended by Midwives/Nurses
Attended by Hilot/Panday 317 300 241
Free New Born Screening (NBS) 0 40 40

Maternal Mortality in LGU Facilities 0 0 0

Infant Mortality in LGU Facilities and Home-Based
Deliveries Handled by Professionals 0 0 0
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The Reaching Out Serving Everyone (ROSE) Caravan has served around 26,610
beneficiaries to-date since 2014, and has covered almost all of the 45 barangays under Lamitan
City plus other beneficiaries from other municipalities.

The range of services of the ROSE Caravan also has evolved from the basic health
services to many arrays of social and development services and through the years it is
continuously evolving into a more holistic and seamless mode of service delivery unique to
ROSE Caravan. Over the three years of its operation, it has adapted to the changing needs of the
people and of the times. It is there in times of disasters, health emergencies and even in the
regular activities of the LGU on events and festivals and other public functions.

The following table shows the range of services provided under the ROSE Caravan since
it started in 2013 until the present.
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Year/No. of Beneficiaries
Services 2014 2015 201 2017
6
1. Seed Distribution 296 1673 653 403
2. Animal Health Care 43 294 91 56
3. Supplemental Feeding 3000 4475 242 1000
0
4. Haircut 200 70
5. Medical Services 400 1040 661 499
6. Blood Sugar Testing 242 112 163
7. Urinalysis 142 109
8. Health Education 63 41
9. Immunization of Senior Citizen 4 9
10. Dental Services 250 269 152 50
11. Pharmacy Services 600 451 460
12. Slipper Distribution 200 900 180 200
13. Eyeglasses Distribution 131 150 150
14. Usapang Buntis 100 150 101 18
15. Usapang Teen Moms 11
16. Basic Vaccination 26
17. Health Management 45 37
18. Seed Distribution 653
19. Admission 353
20. Distribution of School Supplies 500
21. Haircut 320 54
22. Operation Tuli 254 68
23. Dental Kit Distribution 400 400
24. Distribution of Grocery Packs for Malnourished 314
Children
25. Hygiene Kit Distribution 270
26. Distribution of Calcium Supplements to Pregnant 100
Women
27. Eye Check-Up 131
28. Direct Sputum Smear Microscopy 3
Sub-Total 6228 1023 687 3276
1 5
Total 26610
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Promotion of Peoples Participation and Empowerment

With the initial rounds of the ROSE Caravan, a number of government line agencies,
civic organizations and grassroots organizations have been tapped in the implementation of the
activities specifically designed for each of the caravan.

The Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) have been instrumental in realizing the objectives
of each Caravan visit. The BHWs and the respective barangays have been actively engaged with
the activities of the Caravan and we have slowly included other organized groups in the
community like our barangay womens organizations, farmers, 4Ps beneficiaries, Out-of-School
Youth and the local leaders. The Citizens now have become regular part of the activities of the
Caravan also providing services in terms of mobilization, organization and coordination with the
Barangays.

With the grassroots organization being involved in the implementation and conduct of the
activities, they have developed a strong sense of responsibility towards the program and the
Caravan has become a productive venue for generating fresh new ideas for the conduct of the
next rounds of the Caravan.

With each round in the barangays, people are encouraged and become involved in
looking after their welfare because they see in actuality that their needs and concerns are heard
of, taken with due consideration and immediately addressed if possible. The fact that the
program is designed to be inclusive and boundless, less rigid and more responsive, has made it a
productive venue for people participation and effective citizen engagement.

The Local Governments active support and participation and the Local Chief Executives
personal involvement makes it all the more effective strategy in reaching out to the people who
have been underserved for a long period of time or for most of the times.

With each round, more ideas and more services are incorporated in the activities of the
Caravan and with each round, its target beneficiaries increase in number and concerns or issues
addressed become more varied and more and more sectors of the community are encouraged to
get involved.
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Innovation

This by far is an innovative approach to service delivery. With the concept of a

boundless and inclusive ideas of service delivery, the program has become an effective
venue for people to not just avail of health services but also of other services that were
incorporated in the caravan. It becomes a convergence mechanism for all other government line
agencies, socio-civic organizations, peoples organization, including the military to work
together as one, achieving common objectives for this people in the far-flung, underserved areas
of Lamitan.

Now, it has evolved as an effective means of engaging citizens in the affairs of the
government, especially in terms of local governance. This project is based on the concept of
bringing government services right before the peoples doorsteps making it more accessible and
responsive to the peoples needs. And since, Lamitan City is the catchment area of a number of
neighboring municipalities, not only does it serve its residents but also those people living in the
fringes of other adjacent municipalities.

And because of the effective implementation of the programs activities and the positive
outcome of the program, funding for the activities under the program has not become an issue or
concern. Many partner agencies and organizations has committed to participating in the rounds
of the caravan in the barangays. Every round introduces something new in the ever increasing
range of services that the caravan brings right at the doorsteps of the people who are in need,
who have been for the longest time, underserved just because they live in the remote areas of
Lamitan.

Because of the uniqueness of this strategy, the program has become one of the citys best
practices, imitated by many NGOs, socio-civic and peoples organization in bringing about their
services, programs and initiatives in Lamitan and other similarly situated municipalities in
Basilan Province.
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Transferability and Sustainability

And because of the peoples engagement towards the successful implementation of the specific
activities under the program, it can be sustained even with the meager resources at the barangay
level. At the same level of enthusiasm and involvement of the government line agencies, local
leaders, socio-civic organization and peoples organization and the community who each has
their counterpart and specific roles in the conduct of the activities lined up for the caravan,
sustainability of the implementation of the program is ensured.

Activities lined up under the caravan are regular activities, funding of which are allocated in the
annual budget not just of the city government but also at the barangay level. Partnership with the
government line agencies, socio-civic organizations, peoples organizations and the community
has been effectively maintained, coordination and mobilization has been easier and better.

For as long as, the design of the program is based on the concept of boundless and inclusive
delivery of services, citizen engagement is assured.