(File photo)
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will lead the Office of the President’s (OP) annual celebration of “Family Week” from Dec. 2 to 3, showcasing various programs and services for its personnel, Malacañang announced on Friday.
“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will lead this year’s ‘Family Week’ celebration of the hundreds of employees under the Office of the President (OP), other OP agencies and their family members,” Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said in a statement.
“The President himself will speak to and interact with his OP family at the Kalayaan grounds in Malacañang this weekend, December 2-3, 2023,” she added.
Garafil said LAB 4 All, Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair and Kadiwa ng Pangulo will be offered to OP personnel during the two-day celebration of Family Week.
The three services are the key projects championed by Marcos and First Lady Liza Marcos.
The LAB 4 All initiative includes basic laboratory services (CBC, blood chemistry, urinalysis, ECG and ultrasound), specialized tests (cervical cancer and renal disease screening), vaccinations, and dental and optical services.
On the other hand, the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) delivers basic and reliable government services from different government agencies.
Government services offered in the BPSF include passport applications; issuance of birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and clearances from the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation; benefit claims from the Social Security System and Government Service Insurance System; Philippine Health Insurance Inc. coverage; and free legal advice from Public Assistance Office lawyers.
The Kadiwa ng Pangulo, meantime, seeks to promote the direct marketing platform designed by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to provide consumers access to quality and safe food items while ensuring farm producers have a ready market.
“The Kadiwa booth will showcase fresh and affordable produce straight from the farms to Malacañang’s doorstep. These stores will also be open to the surrounding community,” Garafil said, stressing that Marcos recognized the importance of “caring for the well-being of the nuclear family, as well as the extended OP Family.”
Garafil said a Bagong Pilipinas bus is also on hand to heighten awareness about the Marcos administration’s governance branding before its official launch later this month.
She added that a free concert featuring acclaimed artist Bamboo will be held along Mendiola starting at 6 p.m. on Dec. 2 to extend the festivities to the general public.
The OP Family Week is an annual event dedicated to fostering a sense of community and family among its employees.
The celebration is usually held in the last week of September, in line with the establishment of Family Week by former president Fidel V. Ramos in 1992.
“This year’s OP Family Week was moved to December to ensure the maximum participation of employees and the delivery of services, and to evoke the spirit of generosity and community that the Christmas season brings,” Garafil said. (PNA)
