A pastor’s message of gratitude symbolizes the impact of South Cotabato’s CATCH-UP Convergence Operation in Sitio Elton, Barangay Lamcade, Lake Sebu.
Pastor Jimboy Sulan spoke for many residents who have long waited for basic services to reach their remote sitio:
“Dako gid ang amon pagpasalamat sa mga nag-abot sa amon nga lugar. Dugay na namon ni gina handom pila na ka dekada, subong lang gid namon ni na aguma. Dako gid ang kalipay nga nabatyagan namon, madamo gid nga salamat sa mga programa nga gina dala niyo diri sa amon nga barangay. Madamo gid nga salamat sa mga programa nga gina hatag niyo diri sa amon.”
Translated, he conveyed: “We are deeply grateful to everyone who came to our place. We have wished for this for decades, and only now have we experienced it. We feel great joy—thank you very much for the programs you bring and provide to our barangay.”
Pastor Sulan’s words highlight how the convergence model—bringing multiple frontline services in one coordinated visit—reduces the time, travel, and cost barriers faced by geographically isolated families.
Residents reported benefiting from on-site health consultations and medicines, guidance on family and community development, agricultural and veterinary support delivered at farmers’ doorsteps, and planting inputs that will strengthen household food security in the next cropping cycles.
The pastor’s statement also affirms the province’s commitment to “Tama kag Maayo nga Serbisyo,” ensuring that public programs reach far-flung sitios like Elton and neighboring communities.
By clustering services in a single operation, the Provincial Government delivers immediate relief and lays groundwork for longer-term gains—healthier families, more resilient livelihoods, and greener landscapes.
For Sitio Elton, the most important outcome is simple but transformative: government services that once felt out of reach are now present, visible, and working—just as Pastor Sulan said, “subong lang gid namon ni na aguma”—“only now have we truly experienced it.”
