SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go, adopted son of CALABARZON with family ties originating from the Tesoro clan of Batangas, assisted displaced workers in Mabini, Batangas on Friday, December 15.
The relief activity was held at the San Francisco covered court in Mabini, in coordination with Congresswoman Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro. Go’s team provided snacks, masks, and vitamins to 508 identified beneficiaries while select recipients received shirts, balls for basketball and volleyball, cellphones, and pairs of shoes.
The qualified beneficiaries were also provided with temporary employment through the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program.
To promote inclusive development and economic recovery, 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.
“Sa totoo lang po, ‘wag po kayong magpasalamat sa amin. Kami po ang dapat magpasalamat sa inyo dahil binigyan n’yo kami ng pagkakataon na makapagserbisyo sa inyo,” Go said in a video message.
“Kami po ay probinsyano tulad ninyo na binigyan n’yo po ng pagkakataon na makapagserbisyo sa inyo. Kaya hinding-hindi ko sasayangin ang pagkakataon na ibinigay ninyo sa akin. Magtatrabaho po ako para sa Pilipino sa abot ng aking makakaya,” he added.
Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, extended further support to residents requiring medical aid. He urged them to avail of the various medical assistance programs provided in the Malasakit Centers situated at Batangas Medical Center in Batangas City and Batangas Provincial Hospital in Lemery.
Established in 2018, the Malasakit Centers are one-stop shops that consolidate various government medical assistance programs, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program. To date, 159 operational centers have helped around ten million Filipinos nationwide, according to DOH.
Furthermore, the senator emphasized his ongoing commitment to push for the establishment of Super Health Centers nationwide.
“Sa pag-iikot ko sa bansa, napansin ko na kailangan talaga ng dagdag na health facilities lalo na sa maliliit at malalayong mga lugar. Minsan po, ‘yung iba ay nanganganak na lang sa tricycle sa layo ng byahe pa-ospital,” said Go.
“Huwag sana natin hayaan na mangyari pa ‘yon. Kaya talagang isinusulong ko ang pagkakaroon ng Super Health Centers para mailapit ang pangunahing serbisyo medikal sa ating mga kababayan sa malalayong lugar,” he added.
Super Health Centers offer health services including database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray, ultrasound), pharmacy, and ambulatory surgical unit. Other available services are eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) service, oncology centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation centers, and telemedicine.
Through the collective efforts of DOH, local government units, and fellow lawmakers, sufficient funds have been allocated under DOH for the construction of 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and 322 in 2023. The DOH, as the lead implementing agency, identifies the strategic areas where these Super Health Centers will be established.
In the province, three Super Health Centers are funded in Lipa City, and one each for San Pascual, Agoncillo, Calatagan, San Jose, Malvar, Taysan, Ibaan, San Juan, Tingloy, and Lian.
Go then underscored RA 11959, also known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act, a legislative initiative for which he is the principal sponsor and one of the authors in the Senate. The Regional Specialty Centers Act holds importance in the healthcare legislative agenda of the Marcos Administration, as outlined in the Philippine Development Plan covering the years 2023 to 2028. This legislation is designed to establish Regional Specialty Centers within existing regional hospitals under DOH jurisdiction.
In Batangas Medical Center, there are three Regional Specialty Centers, including Mental Health, Neo-Natal Care, and Geriatric Care. Other Regional Specialty Centers are set to be established inside the hospital such as cancer care, cardiovascular care, renal care and transplant center, lung care, brain and spine care, orthopedic center, physical rehabilitation medicine, burn care, trauma care, toxicology, infectious disease and tropical medicine, and eye care.
Go, vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, has likewise supported the construction of multipurpose buildings in Alitagtag, Batangas City, Ibaan, Lemery, Lipa City, Mabini, San Jose, San Juan, San Luis, San Nicolas, Santo Tomas, and Taal; the concretion of farm-to-market roads in Agoncillo, Laurel, Nasugbu, and Tuy; the acquisition of ambulance units in Ibaan and Lemery; and the acquisition of multipurpose vehicles in Lipa City and San Juan.
