SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go made a personal visit to fire victims in Barangay 458, Sampaloc, Manila City on Saturday, January 18, to provide immediate support and assistance in their recovery efforts following a devastating fire that displaced 327 families.
Meanwhile, earlier that day, Senator Go also checked on the situation of another 67 families affected by a separate fire incident in Brgy. 459 that occurred the previous night, demonstrating his commitment to immediately helping those in need.
“Ang gamit ay nabibili, ang pera ay kikitain, pero ang buhay ay hindi mabibili. A lost life is a lost life forever. Pinakamahalaga ang buhay kaya dapat nating pangalagaan ito. Tulong-tulong tayo para makabangon ang bawat pamilya,” Senator Go shared during his visit.
Senator Go facilitated the distribution of food packs, water containers, vitamins, masks, shirts, mattresses, basketballs, and volleyballs to the affected families.
Furthermore, the national government, in coordination with the city government and 458 Barangay Captain Roberto Flores and 459 Barangay Captain Rom Acio, provided other forms of assistance.
The senator also took the opportunity to highlight the benefits of Republic Act No. 11589, or the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act of 2021, which he primarily authored and co-sponsored. This law ensures the enhancement of firefighting capabilities by providing new equipment, hiring more personnel, and offering specialized training to improve disaster response.
As the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography and a health reforms crusader, Senator Go reminded beneficiaries to seek help from the Malasakit Centers located at the Tondo Medical Hospital, Philippine General Hospital, Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Hospital, and San Lazaro Hospital.
The Malasakit Center initiative, established under RA 11463 and principally authored and sponsored by Go, aims to make government medical assistance more accessible to Filipinos. Currently, there are 166 operational Malasakit Centers nationwide, which have assisted over 15 million Filipinos.
“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 who is also known as Mr. Malasakit for his compassionate service to Filipinos in need.
The senator reassured the fire victims that he would continue advocating for initiatives aimed at uplifting the lives of Filipinos, especially those affected by disasters.
Later that day, Go went to Kalibo, Aklan where he joined the Ati-Atihan Festival. He also took time to visit the town’s Super Health Center and the Malasakit Center at Dr. Rafael Tumbokon Memorial Hospital and provided meals and other forms of support to patients and frontliners.