SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go‘s Malasakit Team, in partnership with Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Tony Roman, provided assistance to 177 displaced workers in Hermosa, Bataan on Tuesday, December 12.
The aid distribution took place at the JRC Mandama covered gymnasium where the Malasakit Team distributed vitamins, masks, snacks, shirts, and balls for basketball and volleyball to all while they also gave away shoes to select recipients.
Additionally, eligible recipients were granted temporary work through the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.
DOLE’s TUPAD aims to assist those experiencing economic difficulties by offering emergency employment to displaced workers, the underemployed, and seasonal laborers.
“Nakikiusap po ako sa kapwa ko lingkod bayan na focus tayo sa pagbibigay ng trabaho sa ating mga kababayan. Lalo na po yung mga walang-wala at malubhang naapektuhan ng pandemya,” Go urged.
Go has introduced Senate Bill No. 420, aimed at creating a system that offers temporary jobs to qualified individuals from economically disadvantaged families in rural areas. This bill proposes the establishment of the Rural Employment Assistance Program (REAP) under DOLE.
If enacted into law, the primary objective of REAP is to offer temporary employment opportunities to individuals who meet the criteria of being economically disadvantaged, impoverished, displaced, or seasonal workers.
Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, urged individuals facing health challenges to avail of the services offered by the Malasakit Centers located at Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center in Balanga City and at Mariveles Mental Wellness and General Hospital.
Malasakit Centers bring together representatives from the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. These one-stop shops aim to support impoverished patients in reducing their hospital costs to the least possible amount.
The Malasakit Centers program was initiated by Go in 2018 and was later institutionalized through Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which he principally authored and sponsored.
Currently, there are 159 Malasakit Centers functioning nationwide, ready to help cover patients’ medical costs. According to the DOH, over ten million Filipinos have already received assistance from the Malasakit Center program.
He was also instrumental in pushing for the funding of more than 600 Super Health Centers in strategic locations nationwide as identified by the DOH. According to Go, Super Health Centers are designed to focus on primary care, consultation, and early detection of diseases, further strengthening the healthcare sector in the country, especially in rural communities. It will also help decongest hospitals.
In Bataan, Super Health Centers were funded in Hermosa, Bagac, Morong, Orani, Samal, Dinalupihan, and Mariveles.
Go also recognized the enactment of RA 11959, also known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act, for which he is a principal sponsor and author in the Senate. Recently signed into law, this legislation represents a significant step in enhancing access to specialized medical care in underserved rural areas.
The senator likewise supported several projects in the province, including the construction of a drainage canal in Abucay and Dinalupihan; the construction of Orani District Hospital with 150-bed capacity; construction of multipurpose buildings in Bagac, Balanga City, Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Limay, Orion and Pilar; acquisition of ambulance units in Pilar and Samal; and construction of a slaughterhouse in Hermosa.
On the same day, Go’s Malasakit Team also provided assistance to a thousand indigents in Hermosa. Meanwhile, on December 13, more indigents in Dinalupihan and Orani also benefited from Go’s relief effort.
