SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go dispatched his Malasakit Team to assist displaced workers in Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte on Wednesday, December 20.
Held at Barangay Misok covered court, Go’s Malasakit Team distributed snacks, shirts, vitamins, and balls for basketball and volleyball to 155 displaced workers. They also distributed a bicycle, a mobile phone, and a pair of shoes to select recipients.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) also conducted an orientation for qualified beneficiaries who were introduced to DOLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program. The program aims to provide temporary employment assistance for those in need.
“Sa pamamagitan ng programa na ito, ang gobyerno ay tumutulong sa mga manggagawang naapektuhan ng krisis at nakapagbibigay ng pansamantalang trabaho sa kanila,” Go said in a video message.
“Patuloy po tayong magtutulungan upang mas mapabuti pa ang kalagayan ng ating mga disadvantaged at displaced workers. Magkasama tayo sa layuning ito na makabuo ng mas ligtas at mas matatag na lipunan para sa lahat ng Pilipino,” he added.
Go also filed Senate Bill No. 420, which supports the creation of a framework dedicated to offering brief employment opportunities to eligible individuals hailing from underprivileged rural households. According to the proposed law, the Rural Employment Assistance Program (REAP) would be established and fall under DOLE’s purview. If enacted, the primary objective of REAP is to furnish temporary employment avenues for individuals meeting specific criteria, including economic hardship, poverty, displacement, or reliance on seasonal employment.
Meanwhile, Go urged residents to utilize the services of Malasakit Centers located at Jose Rizal Memorial Hospital in Dapitan City and the Zamboanga del Norte Medical Center in Dipolog City for medical assistance they might need.
Initiated by Go in 2018, the Malasakit Centers program was institutionalized under Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which he principally authored and sponsored in the Senate.
There are now 159 Malasakit Centers nationwide that have helped around ten million indigent Filipinos, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
Go also backed the creation of Super Health Centers nationwide, aiming to make primary medical services more accessible and closer to local communities.
Through the collective efforts of Go, DOH, local government units, and fellow lawmakers, sufficient funds have been allocated for 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and 322 in 2023. DOH, which is the lead implementing agency, identifies the strategic areas where they will be constructed.
Go also highlighted RA 11959, also known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act, which he principally sponsored and is one of the authors in the Senate. The Regional Specialty Centers Act plays a pivotal role in the healthcare legislative agenda of the Marcos administration, as detailed in the Philippine Development Plan 2023 to 2028. The law mandates the establishment of Regional Specialty Centers within existing DOH regional hospitals.
As vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go supported numerous projects in the province to ensure its economic recovery. Among the projects are the construction of multipurpose buildings in Dapitan City, Jose Dalman, Mutia, President Manuel A. Roxas, Salug, Siocon, and Sindangan. Additionally, he has facilitated the acquisition of ambulance units for Mutia, as well as trucks for Katipunan and Mutia.
Furthermore, Go has been instrumental in the rehabilitation of roads in Dapitan City, Godod, Jose Dalman, Liloy, Kalawit, Labason, La Libertad, Sergio Osmeña, and Salug.
