STO. TOMAS CITY- HELPING other people in need at all times and whatever way she can is innate in the heart and mind of Malvar, Batangas Councilor Carla Reyes.
In short it is her life-long commitment.
Which explains why it is not only now, nor only yesterday but way back before she was elected tops among municipal councilors that she committed herself to serve Malvareños.
True to her promise
Hence, true to her promise, she is right there attending to the needs of her town mates amid the sweeping pandemic, and even before the outbreak of Covid-19 last year.
Councilor Reyes has been and will always be helping Malvareños in need and it seems it is where her happiness and satisfaction springs eternal.
Mula sa Puso Ni Ate Carla
And to better serve them with all their needs, by all means, the amiable topnotch SB member set up the “Mula sa Puso Ni Ate Carla Foundation” complete with a “heart” on its logo symbolizing its purpose for the people.
Needless to say, for “Ate Carla,” as she is fondly called by many Malvareños, it will always be a “service with a heart.”
And it's not only a promise but in words but more impotantly in deed.
Free medical services
Elected as the number one councilor in the Municipality of Malvar in the 2019 elections, Ate Carla has taken another step in public service by providing free medical services to her constituents, which is a primary concern of everyone these days amidst the health crisis.
All they need is to come forward and apply for “Alagang Ate Carla Reyes Free Medical Voucher” and “Alagang Ate Carla Reyes Discount Card” and presto Malvareños can now experience medical services.
The program offers services ranging from basic medical laboratory tests and diagnostics to medical consultation, all for free if not at a huge 10% discounted price depending on medical cases.
“Sa panahon ngayon ng pandemya, kailangan unahin natin ang kalusugan ng ating mamamayan dahil ang pagkakasakit, nagdudulot ito ng kahirapan. O pwede din naman, ang kahirapan ay nagdudulot ng pagkakasakit ng mga tao. Kailangang maiahon natin sa kahirapan ang ating mga kababayan at isa sa mga sandata laban sa pandemyang ito ay ang pagkakaroon ng malakas na pangangatawan,” Ate Carla says.
People’s Day
To further drive home her services, Ate Carla launched her own People’s Day in order to hear the pleas of her constituents and address their needs accordingly, and immediately.
She says that some of them needed medical attention or educational, and financial assistance for various reasons.
Ate Carla confided some of their stories melts her heart, the travails of different people and this is accordingly her very reason to push further, higher to better serve Malvareños.
Coming from a family of health and medical practitioners, it’s actually a small wonder Ate Carla Reyes has come to be known as an enabler of municipal-wide Medical Missions.
Now, despite the challenges posed by the virus, the councilor pushed on to launch her first-ever Medical Mission since the outbreak, only this time a little different for she, along with the staff, nurses and doctors have to follow health protocols and practice extreme care.
In addition to this, she also provided dialysis assistance for patients undergoing the treatment to help them out financially as it requires a high cost.
Sama-sama sa Pagbangon
Aptly dubbed as “Sama-sama Sa Pagbangon”, Ate Carla and her #DreamTeam also launched a Sulong Kabuhayan Project of rolling carts in cooperation with the Sangguniang Kabataan of Brgy Poblacion Malvar Batangas and Brgy. San Pioquinto in conjunction with the recent Linggo ng Kabataan celebrations.
Recipients of the initial Sulong Kabuhayan Project rolling carts livelihood project were selected residents of Sitio San Joaquin in San Pioquinto and Little Italy in Poblacion as small-scale business entrepreneurs.
"Sa #DreamTeam, pwede na kayong mangarap," says Ate Carla
who expressed her overwhelming appreciation and pride having supportive members in former Malvar Mayor Alberto Lat, Malvar Vice Mayor Matt Louie Aranda, Ralph Morcilla, Aileen Saludo, Jeric Malabanan Platon, Arnel Vicente Lantin, Bong S. Kalaw, Kurt Abu and Emil Lat, the major benefactor of Sulong Kabuhayan Project.
The #DreamTeam, their consolidated efforts will surely pave the way to a more progressive Malvar by means of empowering the locals.
More noble programs
The Mula Sa Puso ni Ate Carla Foundation also caters to the educational needs of the community by providing scholarships for college students, financial educational assistance, and donation of school supplies and other items to the education community in Malvar.
Barely a year in existence, the Ate Carla Foundation has already produced more than 50 scholars and the number of recipients of educational assistance continues to grow.
Meanwhile, as her way of bridging the gap of hunger during these troubled times, Reyes is giving food packs to the victims of COVID-19 and their families while they are undergoing home quarantine.
Her commitment to serving the people of Malvar by providing them the right health care and social services springs from her 20 years of experience as Chief Operating Officer of C.P. Reyes Hospital and Medical Center that started at the young age of 17.
Her father is no other than Dr. Carlito P. Reyes, a cardiologist and former Municipal Mayor of Malvar (2010-2016). Ate Carla is married to Dr. Antonio Sia, ENT.
Serving the people
Up until now, her family has always been her backbone in serving the people of Malvar by providing them with medical services among other needs.
Hon. Carla Reyes does not deny the fact that she is aspiring for a higher position because according to her, her passion to serve the people of Malvar will be achieved greater if she is in the right position and has the right resources to give her constituents.
“Itong pagseserbisyo, passion ko ito. Ang gusto ko makatulong, makatulong at makatulong. At mas magagawa ko ito kapag nasa tamang posisyon ako,” Ate Carla says.
“Kung bilang konsehal, ito ang aking mga nagawa, kung ako ay mauupo sa mas mataas na posisyon, mas dodoble o ti-triple pang serbisyo ang maibibigay ko sa mga kababayan ko,” stressed Hon. Carla Reyes as she opened herself to the possibility that she may run as the Municipal Mayor of Malvar in the coming 2022 National Elections.