SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go, in coordination with Councilor Jelina Magsuci, directed his team to provide assistance to struggling residents at Citymall in Calapan City on Friday, November 10.
A total of 590 residents gathered during the activity. Go’s team provided a mobile phone, shirts, shoes, and balls for basketball and volleyball to select recipients.
Through the efforts of local officials, qualified recipients also received financial assistance from the government.
In his video message, Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, reiterated his support for the continued operations of the Malasakit Centers including one in the province located at Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital.
“Isa lang po ang pakiusap ko sa ating mga Malasakit Center workers, social workers, medical chief, sa lahat po ng health workers, unahin po natin ‘yung mga kababayan nating mahihirap, ‘yung mga helpless, mga hopeless po na walang matakbuhan po kung hindi ang gobyerno at mga pampublikong ospital,” said Go.
“Tulungan po natin silang lahat. Huwag ho natin silang pabayaan. Full support po ako sa inyong ospital at sa mga programang makakatulong sa mga mahihirap,” he urged.
The Malasakit Center was established by Go in 2018 when he was still special assistant to former president Rodrigo Duterte. It serves as a one-stop shop that aims to streamline the process of availing medical assistance from government agencies for indigent patients.
To date, there are 159 operational centers that have helped over seven million Filipinos nationwide.
Go also shared his vision to bring public health services closer to the Filipinos through the construction of Super Health Centers nationwide. The said facility will offer a wide range of services, including database management, outpatient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray and ultrasound), pharmacy, and an ambulatory surgical unit.
Additionally, the Super Health Center provides specialized services such as eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) service, oncology centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation centers, and telemedicine, allowing for remote diagnosis and treatment of patients.
Through the collective efforts of fellow lawmakers, local government units, and the Department of Health (DOH), sufficient funds have been allocated under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program of the DOH for 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and 322 SHCs in 2023. DOH, the lead implementing agency, identifies the strategic areas where SHCs will be constructed.
In Oriental Mindoro, Super Health Centers will be constructed in Bansud, Bulalacao, Mansalay, and Calapan City — the last one’s groundbreaking having been personally attended by Go last March.
Moreover, the senator is the principal sponsor and one of the authors of Republic Act 11959 or the Regional Specialty Centers Act. The said law mandates the establishment of Regional Specialty Centers within existing DOH regional hospitals. Each center will host a different specialty, bringing services such as those available in Metro Manila-based hospitals like the Heart Center, Lung Center, and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, closer to communities.
Go, vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance also supported the construction of farm-to-market roads in Bulalacao, Bansud, Gloria, Pola, and Socorro; construction of multipurpose buildings in Bongabong, and Bulalacao; construction of potable water system in Socorro and Pinamalayan; acquisition of multipurpose vehicles in Pola; and acquisition of medical equipment for the local government of Bongabong.
Last March, Go personally attended the inauguration of the country’s largest port passenger terminal building at the Port of Calapan City. He also briefly inspected the Sentrong Pangkabataan, the construction of which he likewise supported.
