SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go emphasized the significance of expanding livelihood opportunities for the underprivileged as his Malasakit Team visited Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, on Thursday, November 21, to extend support to struggling workers in the area.
Following the completion of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), livelihood support through temporary employment was provided to displaced workers. This program was conducted in collaboration with Go and the local government led by Mayor Lester Sinsuat.
To better support vulnerable sectors impacted by crises and provide for those in rural areas facing employment challenges, Go filed Senate Bill No. 420 to institutionalize a Rural Employment Assistance Program (REAP), which can give temporary jobs to qualified individuals from low-income rural families, if enacted into law.
Furthermore, to ease the financial burden on Filipino families, Go also co-authored and co-sponsored SBN 2534, which aims to raise the daily minimum wage by PhP100 nationwide.
Go underscored the need to safeguard the welfare of vulnerable workers, especially those in rural areas seeking better economic opportunities. Additionally, Go’s Malasakit Team distributed snacks, shirts, vitamins, basketballs, and volleyballs to the 179 beneficiaries gathered at Barangay Kakar Gym. There were also select recipients of shoes, a mobile phone, and a watch.
As the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography and as a health reform crusader, Go offered further assistance to those who may need medical assistance as he encouraged them to visit the nearby Malasakit Centers located at Cotabato Sanitarium and General Hospital in Sultan Kudarat town, and Cotabato Regional and Medical Center in Cotabato City.
A one-stop shop, the Malasakit Center provides poor and indigent patients convenient access to medical assistance programs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation. Go is the principal author and sponsor of the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019.
Currently, there are already 166 Malasakit Centers operational nationwide, ready to assist with patients’ medical expenses. The Malasakit Center program has already provided aid to over 15 million Filipinos according to the data from DOH.
“Ilapit natin ang serbisyo ng gobyerno sa ating mga kababayan na higit na nangangailangan. Patuloy kaming magseserbisyo sa inyo dahil bisyo ko ang magserbisyo at ako ay naniniwala na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo ‘yan sa Panginoon, serbisyo ‘yan kay Allah,” underscored Go.