COTABATO CITY — The Office of the Vice President opened its ninth satellite office here today.

The newest addition to the satellite offices, named OVP-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), is located in Lot 16A along Sinsuat Avenue. It will be managed by Joel Caminade.

The OVP-BARMM will give residents here and those from Region 12 easier access to the office’s services, especially the medical and burial assistance.

The OVP also has satellite offices in the cities of Cebu, Bacolod, Tacloban, Davao, Zamboanga, Tandag, Isabela, and Dagupan.

Vice President Sara Duterte, who attended the opening of the OVP-BARMM, said it is better to have an office that can immediately respond to the needs of the people.

“Mas mainam talaga kung meron tayong mga tao dito na araw-araw ay nakikita nila, namo-monitor nila ang sitwasyon sa BARMM area para mabilis yung aksyon,” the Vice President said, citing the flooding in April when the Talayan River overflowed, affecting some 500 families.

Aside from the medical and burial assistance, the satellite offices also implement other OVP-initiated projects. These include the PagbaBAGo campaign advocating education among school children and responsible parenthood on adults; the Kalusugan Food Truck which provides hot meals to calamity responders and volunteers; Pansarap nutritional buns to schools with high number malnutrition cases; the Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day, which gives livelihood opportunities to women and members of the LGBTQI community; and the Disaster Operations Center which spearheads calamity response and relief augmentation to communities.

The PagbaBAGo advocacy also envisions the planting of one million trees, and the distribution of one million bags to learners across the country by 2028. The bags contain school supplies and dental kits.

As Secretary of Education, Duterte also called on parents and stakeholders to help instil the value of education on children and the importance of them finishing their studies so they would have a better future.

“Dapat maipaintindi natin sa mga magulang na napakahalaga ng edukasyon sa kinabukasan ng kanilang anak. Yun ang magpapabago ng buhay nila at ng estado ng mga pamilya nila,” she said.

She also underscored the Department of Education’s direction in providing quality, equitable and accessible education while honing children to be ‘batang makabansa.’

“Napakahalaga po na ang ating mga kabataan ay maging peacebuilders o marunong sila sa conflict resolutions, disaster response, marunong sila sa lahat ng life skills hindi lang maalam sa academics,” Duterte said, highlighting the National Peace Curriculum for basic education.

“Gusto po natin ay ang ating mga anak at ang susunod na generation ng mga Pilipino at mga peacebuilders who are resilient, who have discipline, who know hardwork, and who are patriots who will defend our country from all enemies of the state,” she added.