At least 2,000 residents in this city on Thursday benefited from the “Lab for All” free medical and other services caravan led by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

In her speech at the People’s Center and Library, the First Lady said the initiative is a joint effort of national government agencies to bring services closer to the people.

“When we started, only few agencies joined and there were only few donors. Now, more agencies are participating, and more private donors have been extending help,” Marcos said.

Bringing the caravan to this city is a birthday gift to the home province of her mother-in-law former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos, according to her.

Aside from People’s Center and Library, medical services were also extended this week in other venues in the city – Eastern Visayas State University, Tacloban City National High School, Marabaras National High School, and Leyte National High School.

“The Lab for All program is the brainchild of my husband. The President said we should bring government service closer to the people and not the other way around,” Marcos added.

Accompanying the First Lady were Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Tingog Party-list Representatives Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Prospero de Vera III, Public Attorney’s Office Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and other government officials.

“We are responding to the challenge posed by no less than President Marcos to speed up the delivery of government services to the farthest corners of the country,” Romualdez said.

Among the agencies that provided services at the caravan were the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Agriculture, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Public Attorney’s Office. (PNA)