SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go’s Malasakit Team, in partnership with the Office of Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, assisted 90 displaced workers at Barangay Mailom covered court, on Tuesday, December 12.
The team distributed snacks, shirts, masks, and vitamins to all beneficiaries while there were select recipients of pairs of shoes.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) conducted an orientation to extend livelihood support to qualified recipients as part of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.
This program, designed to offer prompt assistance to workers who have lost their jobs, has played a significant role in mitigating the hardships faced by numerous underprivileged and distressed people throughout the country.
In a video message, Go commended DOLE’s efforts in addressing the pressing issue of unemployment, stating, “The TUPAD program exemplifies the government’s commitment to uplifting the lives of those who need it the most. By extending a helping hand to the most vulnerable sectors, we create an environment where every Filipino can strive for a better future.”
Last December 8, similar assistance was also given to displaced workers in Pontevedra and Bago City.
Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, offered to assist those with health concerns through the Malasakit Centers program which he initiated.
The program, principally authored and sponsored by Go and enacted into law in 2019 through Republic Act No. 11463, unites representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, aiming to minimize hospital costs for patients as much as possible.
With 159 operational Malasakit Centers, including the one at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City, this initiative has been a success, aiding more than ten million Filipinos across the nation, according to the DOH.
“Patuloy po akong tutulong sa pagpaparami ng Malasakit Centers sa bansa. Andiyan na po sa loob ang apat na ahensya ng gobyerno para sa mga available na medical assistance programs. Target po nito na pababain ang inyong hospital bill to the lowest amount possible,” Go explained.
“Huwag ho kayong mahihiyang lumapit sa mga Malasakit Centers. Para po yan sa Pilipino. Nalulungkot po ako tuwing may mga nag-aalangan magpatingin sa doktor dahil natatakot sila sa babayaran sa hospital. Pangalagaan niyo po ang inyong kalusugan at ang Malasakit Center ay handang tumulong sa inyo,” he added.
Go also supported the establishment of Super Health Centers across the country, bringing government medical services closer to the grassroots.
Through the collective efforts of DOH, fellow lawmakers, and local government units, sufficient funds have been allocated for 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and 322 in 2023. DOH, the lead implementing agency, identifies the strategic areas where they will be constructed.
In the province of Negros Occidental, DOH has identified several areas to construct Super Health Centers, including the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Cadiz, Himamaylan, San Carlos, and Talisay; and the town of Cauayan, under the 2022 budget. This year, more such centers were funded for the cities of Escalante, Cauayan, Sagay, Silay, Sipalay, and Victorias; and the towns of Binalbagan, Calatrava, Isabela, Moises Padilla, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, San Enrique, Toboso, and Valladolid. Additional Super Health Centers will also be established in the cities of Cadiz, Talisay, and San Carlos.
Go emphasized the importance of RA 11959, known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act, for which he is the principal sponsor and one of the authors in the Senate. This Act seeks to create Regional Specialty Centers within existing regional hospitals under the DOH’s authority.
Go likewise principally sponsored RA 11564 which led to the establishment of the Bacolod City General Hospital. This law was officially signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2021.
Go, vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, aims to deliver enhanced public service to the province as he supported the construction of a revetment, multi-purpose public facilities, and several road maintenance initiatives in Bacolod City; and the construction of a multi-purpose building and concreting of a local road in the town of Don Salvador Benedicto.
Other initiatives that Go pushed for, include the construction of multi-purpose buildings in Calatrava and Himamaylan City; road maintenance in Bago City; and construction of a new infectious diseases wing at the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City.
