
08/08/2025
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In principle, the proposal to institutionalize a service caravan is a welcome initiative. For years, the lack of accessible public servicesâparticularly in hinterland barangays in Iliganâhas deepened the divide between city center and periphery. Bringing government closer to the people should be every LGUâs priority. But as we move forward with this ordinance, one key detail must not be overlooked: the name âAsenso Iliganon Caravan.â
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This is not about opposing public service. Itâs about protecting it. Institutionalizing a program that carries overt political branding does more harm than good in the long run. The term âAsenso Iliganonâ is not just a catchphraseâit is a political identity, tied to a specific camp, narrative, and electoral strategy. By allowing that brand to be cemented into an ordinance, we risk turning public service into partisan performance.
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Public money funds this caravan. Government workers execute its logistics. The servicesâmedical, legal, welfare, educationalâare intended for all Iliganons, regardless of political belief, affiliation, or voting history. Attaching a political name to these services creates an unspoken condition: that these are favors, not rights. That to benefit from government, you must applaud the politician behind the slogan. That is not governanceâthat is political marketing disguised as social work.
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Worse, when the administration changesâas it inevitably willâwhat becomes of the âAsenso Iliganon Caravanâ? The name alone invites the next mayor or council to abolish it or rebrand it in their own image. And so, the cycle continues: programs are born and die, not based on merit, but on the politics of their name. If we truly believe in sustainable, apolitical service delivery, then we must strip this ordinance of partisan makers.
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This is a chance for Iligan to do better. To show that we can institutionalize programs not because they carry political mileage, but because they deliver real impact. A better name could be something like âIligan City Service Caravanâ or âBarangay Serbisyo Programâânames that reflect inclusivity, not agenda.
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The people donât need propaganda. They need medicine. Legal aid. Food packs. Psychological services, Etcetera. They donât need to see campaign tarpaulins to believe that government is workingâthey need to see presence. Let our presence speak louder than our branding.
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Let this ordinance be remembered not as a political maneuver, but as a step toward genuine, impartial services.
Source: Asenso News Iligan City