‘Enhanced BOSS service caravan’

marks PCPG’s 57th foundation day

PRESIDENT CARLOS P. GARCIA, Bohol (PIA)—Bohol pooled a much larger group of national government agencies to bring their frontline services to the residents of this underserved and geographically isolated island town as a highlight of the government’s effort to bring its services directly to the community’s doorstep, two days before the town celebrates its 57th Founding Anniversary, June 21.

Intent on spurring micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in this island town to help stir the local economy, Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado tasked the Bohol Economic Development and Investment Promotions Office (BEDIPO) and its Business One-stop-shop (BOSS) investment assistance center with national government agency partners to assist the island town’s MSMEs.

But, for the founding anniversary, BEDIPO has prepared a much larger service team.

In to bring an upgraded BOSS, with non-investment cluster agencies joining the service activity, the Abante Negosyo Service Caravan affords the community here the chance to experience government frontline services, otherwise available only when residents cross to the mainland and travel 150 kilometers to Tagbilaran City, where most of the government agencies are based.

In his welcome message during the opening program, PCPG Mayor Kenneth Estavilla said the service caravan formally opens the shortened three-days Founding Anniversary celebration from a usually weeklong celebration as the town observes austerity measures with the economic crisis.

He urged his residents to avail of the rare enhanced service caravan which now includes other services outside the BOSS investment cluster agencies.

Capitol’s BOSS focal person Ghaya Castillo said the usual BOSS Caravan offers business and investment assistance services of Department of Trade and Industry, Small Business Corporation, Social Security System, Philippine Health Insurance Service, Pag-Ibig HDMF, Department of Information Communication and Technology, Department of Labor and Employment, Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Interior and Local Government and Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Institutionalized as an annual highlight of the town’s founding anniversary courtesy of an ordinance, the upgraded Abante Business Caravan for every foundation anniversary, now also brings the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for its permitting mandates, Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation, Office of the Provincial Agriculture, Philippine Postal Corporation, Philippine Statistics Authority on PhilID, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration, Provincial Information and Media Office, Philippine National Police, Land Transportation Office, and the Philippine Information Agency.

In the concept of the BOSS Caravan, we bring the one-stop-shop concept to the towns that an MSME needing business assistance need not go to the city, as they can get business counselling and business registration from DTI, or the SEC, register workers at the SSS, PhilHealth and PAG-IBIG, seek labor advice, seek BIR guidance and possibly access government services from the DILG on barangay micro business benefits, she explained.

To this, Mayor Estavilla also engaged his people to connect with SB Corporation, to access additional capital, as the government makes it available at low interest for MSMEs.

CPG, isolated from Bohol mainland by Basiao channel, is largely a fishing and farming community, but with the beginning signs of a long dry season, chances are getting narrower for the community.

With the prospect of tougher times ahead, the service caravan’s service offers by the PSA proved to be a top-seller.

Becoming a preferred source of identity verification mechanism for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program implementation and service delivery due to its biometric authentication, beneficiaries are now lining up for the Philippine ID system (PhilSys), a key PSA service.

The DSWD and the PSA earlier signed a memorandum of agreement in 2021 providing for the adoption of PhilSys for the identification and verification of DSWD program beneficiaries, including senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and solo parents.

This triggered PhilSYS registration drives for 4Ps beneficiaries during Family Development Sessions, generating a surge of registrants.

Moreover, the PhilSYS registration has also opened itself to children, thereby adding a huge unregistered sector to those social program beneficiaries, causing massive jams for PSA in service caravans.

DSWD however clarified that while PhilSYS ID is just one of the identification verification system used for benefits claims, benefits are not reduced or withheld if the beneficiaries do not have PhilSys registrations.

As of lunchtime, the Abante Negosyo Service Caravan services have registered a little over 300 residents served, according to local organizers. (PIABohol)

IDENTITY CRISIS. DSWD 4Ps beneficiaries flock to the PSA Philippine ID System (PhilSYS), to get a much better biometric verification system in their identifications, as the DSWD and the PSA sign a MOA putting the PhilSYS among the accepted ID verification processes for social grants beneficiaries to claim their aids. (PIABohol)

WHOLE OF NATION. National government agencies joining the Abante Negosyo Service Caravan opened a menu of frontline services for the people of Pres Carlos P. Garcia, bringing key services available to residents for a day, in time to mark the town’s 57th founding anniversary. Bringing a team of service staff improves government accessibility and helps people getting empowered. (PIABohol)