Hundreds of residents from seven different villages in Lamitan City received a significant boost through various free services and assistance during the Reaching Out Service Everyone (ROSE) Caravan held on Tuesday, November 18, 2025.
A Birthday Celebration with a Purpose
The community-focused event took place in Lo-ok village and was organized to coincide with the 63rd birthday celebration of Mayor Roderick Furigay. Instead of a private party, the mayor chose to mark his special day by directly serving the constituents of Lamitan City. Mayor Furigay dedicated this meaningful caravan to his late wife, former Mayor Rosita Furigay, who was the original architect of the ROSE service program during her term.
Comprehensive Services for the Community
The caravan offered a wide array of essential services designed to address immediate community needs. Residents availed themselves of medical and dental check-ups, along with critical health screenings that included blood sugar tests, urinalysis, vital signs monitoring, and blood chemistry tests. Practical aid was also distributed, such as free eyeglasses, slippers, and school supplies.
Further assistance came in the form of mosquito nets, mobility aids like wheelchairs, quad canes, and underarm crutches. The local government also facilitated free live birth registrations and distributed seedlings to support agricultural and home gardening efforts. To provide immediate nourishment, volunteers served hot arroz caldo (rice porridge) to participants.
A Legacy of Service and Recognition
In his address, Mayor Furigay expressed profound gratitude to God for the blessing of his birthday, to the residents who participated actively, and to the various partner agencies that contributed their services and resources to make the event a success. He emphasized that the primary goal of his administration’s program is to bring government services closer to the people of Lamitan City.
The ROSE Caravan, first launched by the late Mayor Rosita Furigay, has been consistently continued by the city government. To date, this flagship program has successfully reached all 45 villages (barangays) of Lamitan City, benefiting thousands of Lamiteños. Its profound impact and innovative approach have earned it both national and regional recognition, including the prestigious Galing Pook National Award and the Local Government Unit’s Grant Assistance for Innovative Practices (LGAIP) Regional Award from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
