In May last year, First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos started her project called “Lab for All” the concept of which is to provide primary health care with several laboratory tests like ECG, ultrasound, blood chemistry, and dental services to as many Filipinos as possible, mostly in the rural areas. For this, she uses a fleet of vans and ambulances that are well-equipped to render the various services mentioned.
Recently, even the indigenous people of Central Luzon, particularly Pampanga and Tarlac, were beneficiaries of the First Lady’s Lab for All project, with the full sponsorship of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
In Floridablanca, Pampanga, the First Lady turned over two vehicles to the Pampanga provincial government for use by the residents of Barangays Nabuclod and Mawacat.
A truck with a water tanker and another truck for transporting farm produce were given to the provincial government.
“Lab for All is our way of bringing government services closer to the people,” the First Lady told some 2,000 Aetas from Barangays Mawacat and Nabuclod who attended a program held at a covered court in Barangay Nabuclod.
Lab for All and its partner agencies in the public and private sectors assisted 1,415 persons under the Assistance in Crisis Situation program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, giving them also family food packs.
Lab for All, through the Department of Health, gave supplemental feeding and deworming to 586 students.
At least 113 young people received haircuts from the TESDA (Technical Education Skills Development Authority). Medical missions by the Provincial Health Office reached 500 persons. A total of 111 persons received eyeglasses. The Department of Agriculture gave seedlings and farming tools to 140 upland farmers. The beneficiaries in the two villages totaled 2,865 individuals.
Pampanga Governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda thanked the First Lady and the Lab for All partners for working together to lift the lives of poor Filipinos like Aetas. Several Provincial Board Members and Mayor Darwin Manalansan accompanied the First Lady in checking out the services.
Being upland villages near the now quiet Pinatubo volcano, Mawacat and Nabuclod have adequate planning and monitoring for disaster preparedness and response against erosion and landslides, it was noted by Mrs. Marcos.
Liza’s Lab for All is expected to go a long way in alleviating poverty in the Mt. Pinatubo areas.
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