SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go‘s Malasakit Team provided immediate aid to fire victims in Surigao City, Surigao del Norte, on Thursday, March 21. In his video message during the relief activity at Barangay Luna Evacuation Center, Go mentioned that the Bureau of Fire Protection is currently undergoing modernization efforts as mandated under Republic Act No. 11589, which Go primarily authored and co-sponsored in the Senate.
“Sa ating isinulong na batas, kailangang mag-hire po tayo ng mas maraming fire fighters, at karagdagang modernong kagamitan at, pangatlo, kailangan rin pong regular buwan-buwan ang gagawing fire prevention campaigns and information drive lalung-lalo na po sa informal settlements kung saan gawa sa mga light materials ang mga bahay at dikit-dikit po ang mga bahay,” Go explained.
“Huwag po kayong mawalan ng pag-asa, ang importante ay buhay kayo. Ang gamit po ay napapalitan, ang pera ay kikitain pero ang pera ay hindi nabibili ang buhay. A lost life is a lost life forever. Kaya pangalagaan natin ang buhay na binigay sa atin ng Panginoon,” he added.
The fire incident, which occurred last March 12, has affected 45 households. The affected families received financial assistance, grocery packs, water containers, shirts, balls for basketball and volleyball, masks, vitamins, and snacks from Go’s Malasakit team. There were also select recipients of shoes and a watch. The distribution was done in coordination with Mayor Pablo Yves Dumlao II and the local government.
As the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Go extended aid to affected residents who may need medical assistance. The senator cited a Malasakit Center in the city at the Caraga Regional Hospital and another at Siargao Island Medical Center in Dapa.
Initiated by Senator Go and enacted into law that he principally sponsored and authored, Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop where Filipinos can conveniently access medical-related assistance from concerned agencies. Since it started in 2018, the program has established 161 centers nationwide and helped more than ten million Filipinos, as the Department of Health reported.
Furthermore, Go expressed his firm support for the Department of Health and the initiative to build more than 700 Super Health Centers from 2022 to 2024, stressing the importance of these centers in providing primary care, consultation, and early detection services. In the province, Go advocated for the funding for 13 Super Health Centers.
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 played 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.
Apart from the assistance provided by Go, representatives from the National Housing Authority further evaluated the affected families for housing assistance.
Committed to uplifting the lives of the city’s constituents, Go, serving as the vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, supported various projects, such as constructing a flood mitigation structure along the Surigao River and road improvements.
