DAVAO CITY—The City’s Lingap Para sa Mahirap counter started to service indigents Monday at its new office along Pichon Street.
For years, Lingap Para sa Mahirap, the local government’s program for indigents needing medical and funeral assistance, has been holding office at the lobby of the second floor of the city hall—right outside the office of the City Mayor.
The new office is the former Government Employees Multipurpose Cooperative—in front of Magallanes Elementary School.
Moving Lingap to a new location makes the social service more accessible to the public, said lawyer Raul Nadela, Jr., the chief of staff of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
“The place will be more favorable and comfortable, especially to the elderly, the pregnant, and clients who bring along their kids,” he said.
Social workers from the City Social Services and Development Office will help run the program that accommodates around 150 to 200 people a day.
The program also has an office at the Southern Philippines Medical Center, providing medical assistance for those confined at the hospital.
Meanwhile, the City Council has augmented the budget allocation for Lingap program.
The local legislators allocated P30 million for the program from the approved P122 million supplemental budget 3.
The city has P6.3 Annual Budget for Calendar Year 2016.
Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, chair of the Committee on Finance, Ways and Means and Appropriations, said SB 3 will be for miscellaneous, aid and contribution and electrical expenses of the city.
The supplemental budget is allocated for the General Fund (P96.6 million), Economic Enterprise (P8.7 million), and Development Fund (P25.6).
Dayanghirang said his committee was also set to approve supplemental budget 4 for the bonuses of the employees of the City Hall.