San Miguel residents skip city trip as PSA caravan brings services to barangay

Posted on May 29, 2026 at 5:09 am

SAN MIGUEL, Leyte – In this 4th-class municipality with a population of 20,771, many residents usually have to travel to Tacloban City just to get basic documents like birth certificates or to apply for a National ID.

But on May 26, 2026, that changed for a day when the Philippine Statistics Authority Regional Statistical Services Office VIII held its “Barangayan PSA Caravan” at Barangay Sta. Cruz.

Around 150 residents went to the barangay gym to process National ID registration and updates, access digital and printed IDs, and request civil registry documents such as birth, marriage, and death certificates, and Certificates of No Marriage or CENOMAR.

For many, it meant skipping the long trip to the city and saving money on fare.

Marife Molon, Registration Officer III of PSA RSSO 8, said the team makes it a point to go directly to communities, especially those far from service centers.

“PSA is very much happy to go down to the grassroots and do our tasks the best way we can, promptly, and make our services closer to them,” Molon said.

She added that bringing the services to barangays also helps residents who need IDs for work, school, banking, healthcare, and government assistance.

Residents said the activity made things easier, especially for those who would normally spend time and money just to reach PSA offices outside the municipality.

San Miguel, a 4th-class municipality, is among the areas where access to government services can be limited by distance and cost, making activities like the caravan a big help for many families.

By the end of the day, what is usually a difficult errand for residents turned into a quick visit to their barangay gym, with government services finally coming to them instead of the other way around.

Photo courtesy: PSA Eastern Visayas