DAVAO CITY (September 19) – The recently launched pilot Community Assistance Vehicle (CAV) initiative has brought healthcare closer to home for Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities in Barangay Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte.
In an interview on Thursday, Davao del Norte 1st District Representative De Carlo Uy stated that the program, known as “OYO CAV,” has already completed five trips, benefiting over 80 patients and their companions.
The OYO CAV Program, a district pioneering project, was formally established in August of this year to provide free transportation for patients in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA).
Residents from remote Gupitan villages were transported to the Kapalong District Hospital for medical consultations on Mondays and Thursdays.
“This pilot initiative is the first step toward creating a more accessible healthcare system for our people. We are launching OYO CAV as a concrete response to our communities’ requests,” Uy stated.
He highlighted that healthcare should be accessible to all families, regardless of where they reside or who they are.
Gupitan is home to a considerable IP community, many of whom live in great poverty in remote sitios deep in the highlands. Families in these communities frequently rely on subsistence farming and seasonal labor, earning only enough to cover their most basic needs.
“With poor road access and limited livelihood opportunities, healthcare is not only physically out of reach but also financially burdensome,” he said.
In order to get to hospitals, locals have had to endure long walks or expensive “habal-habal” (modified rural motorcycle taxi) rides for decades, which has made it practically hard to receive prompt medical care.
“Through the OYO CAV Program, these barriers are now being addressed by providing free, safe, and reliable transport,” Uy stated.
