SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go’s Malasakit Team, on Thursday, March 14, provided assistance to families whose houses were damaged by a fire incident in Barangay Tuca Ambolong, Marawi City, Lanao del Sur.
In observance of Fire Prevention Month, Go conveyed that a modernization program is being implemented in the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), under Republic Act No. 11589, which was primarily authored and co-sponsored by Go in the Senate. The BFP modernization program includes acquiring new fire equipment, hiring more firefighters, and providing specialized training, among others.
“Tandaan natin, ang gamit po’y nabibili naman. Ang pera po’y kikitain natin subalit ‘yung perang kikitain ay hindi po nabibili ang buhay. A lost life is a lost life forever. Kaya pangalagaan natin ang buhay na binigay sa atin ng Panginoon,” Go emphasized in a video message.
Held at Brgy. Tuca Ambolong evacuation center, the Malasakit Team extended financial assistance, snacks, grocery packs, water containers, shirts, vitamins, and balls for basketball and volleyball to ten affected households.
In line with his priority to provide convenient access to quality healthcare services, Go also offered to help those in need of medical care and encouraged them to seek assistance from the government through the Malasakit Center located at Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi City.
A brainchild of Go, the Malasakit Centers program provides one-stop shops designed to help indigent patients with their medical expenses by bringing partner agencies under one roof, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
“Para po ‘yan sa Pilipino, para po ‘yan sa mga poor and indigent patients. Batas na po ‘yan, isinulong ko noon at pinirmahan ni (dating) pangulong (Rodrigo) Duterte. Lapitan niyo lang po ang Malasakit Center,” said Go.
“Mayroon na hong 161 Malasakit Centers sa buong Pilipinas na handang tumulong po sa inyo,” added the senator, who principally authored and sponsored RA No. 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which has assisted more than ten million Filipinos, according to DOH.
Aside from these measures and initiatives, Go co-sponsored and is one of the authors of Senate Bill No. 2451, also known as the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act. The bill, primarily sponsored by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, aims to establish fully functional evacuation centers nationwide.
Go also continues to push for his filed bill, SBN No. 192, which seeks to institutionalize the Rental Housing Subsidy Program. Under the proposed measure, a housing and social protection program will be developed to provide disaster victims better and more affordable access to the formal housing market through the provision of rental subsidies provided by the government.
“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 known as Mr. Malasakit for his compassionate service to Filipinos in need.
