The Eastern Samar provincial government is holding service caravans in 45 remote villages in the province within the year to bring basic services to poor families.

Of the 45 target villages, four are in Borongan City; three each in Oras, Maslog, Sulat, Salcedo, and Guiuan towns; two each in Jipapad, Arteche, Dolores, San Julian, and General Macarthur towns; and one each in San Policarpo, Can-avid, Taft, Maydolong, Balangkayan, Llorente, Hernani, Mercedes, Quinapondan, Giporlos, Lawaan, and Balangiga towns.

Governor Ben Evardone said on Thursday the caravan brings services of some national and provincial government agencies to communities far from the town centers and highways.

“We are keeping our promise to bring the services of the government down to the grassroots. They are our priority,” Evardone said in a statement.

From October 4 to 6, the provincial government held the service caravan in Maslog, a remote town in Eastern Samar.

The governor turned over hygiene kits to all households in the town and signed a memorandum of agreement with the local officials of Libertad, Taytay and San Miguel villages for financial assistance from the provincial government under the poverty alleviation program amounting to PHP500,000 for each village.

The caravan offered free medical checkups, and haircuts, as well as consultations with personnel from agricultural services, social welfare development office, legal team, health office, assessors’ office, and engineering office.

Also present were representatives from the Philippine Army, Philippine National Police, Department of Labor and Employment, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Originally, the caravan was for the town’s three villages, but the governor decided to cover all 12 villages of Maslog since the town is remote.

Maslog, a town with a population of 5,463 is 103 kilometers south of Borongan City, the capital of Eastern Samar.

The town can be reached from the city through a three-hour drive and river boat ride. (PNA)