PRO9 conducts Medical and Outreach Program in Barangay Mariki, Zamboanga City

PAGADIAN CITY (Nov. 11, 2018) - More than 700 local residents of Barangay Mariki in Zamboanga City mostly marginalized Badjao Indigenous People (IP) benefited from the Medical Dental and Community Assistance Package “MEDCAP” Caravan initiated by the Police Regional Office 9 in partnership with the PRO9 Officers Ladies Club on November 10, 2018 in Barangay Mariki, Zamboanga City, PRO 9 PIO Chief disclosed.

PCSUPT Emmanuel Luis D Licup, Regional Director of PRO9 said that the activity aims to bring the police closer to the marginalized village such as Barangay Mariki, who are most of the time given less priority in terms of basic services.

PRO 9 PIO Chief PCINSP Helen L. Galvez said that some 700 Indigenous People (IP) mostly children aged 1-12 years old benefited from the basic services offered during the one-day event, such as: medical consultation, dental consultation and tooth extraction; distribution of medicines, distribution of set of school supplies to identified pupils, gift-giving, free haircut, distribution of slippers and literacy program.

Galvez added that the local residents, many of them are indigenous Badjao/Samal people, were thankful for the assistances and the basic services that their children benefited during the program.

Galvez aalso said that Barangay Mariki, considered a remote village in Zamboanga City and mostly populated with Indigenous People (IP) is being identified as one of the Barangay in the city that basic services are rarely infiltrate in their village. It is one of the Barangays in the city that was greatly affected and damaged during the September 9, 2018 Zamboanga Seige as all the houses in this village were razed to the ground.

Meanwhile, the PRO9 Officers Ladies Club chairs by Mrs. Marjorie Licup, the loving wife of PRO9 Regional Director stressed out that another MEDCAP activity will be conducted on November 17, 24 and December 1, 2018 respectively in the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga Del Sur and Zamboanga Del Norte, all under the PRO9 area of responsibility. (By JONG CADION with PRO 9 PR and Photos)