FOR Katherine Cabotaje from Marikina City, life changed dramatically at 23. She was young and thriving in her career when she was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and informed she would require dialysis to survive.
Now, at 39, Katherine reflects on the trials and triumphs of her journey and the unexpected relief she found through Senator Christopher “Bong” Go and the Malasakit Center initiative.
Katherine describes her diagnosis as a “dark and difficult time.” Although she worked tirelessly, juggling long hours and an intense workload, the symptoms began to emerge. She recalls feeling persistently fatigued, experiencing swelling, and losing her appetite, thinking it was merely work-related stress.
But a company doctor’s insistence on a creatinine test unveiled a harsh reality:
“Sobrang taas na pala,” she recounts. “End-stage agad ‘yung sakit ko… na-check ng company doctor na bakit ako namumutla, tapos ba’t ako namamanas,” said Katherine.
For Katherine, the diagnosis was overwhelming, a looming specter over her life and family.
“Na-depress ka kasi kumikita ka tapos sasabihin may sakit ka,” she says.
She felt the weight of her condition in every aspect of life, and her family, especially her mother, carried that weight with her.
In the early days, resources were few. Katherine recalls how the assistance would run out halfway through the year, leaving her to cover everything from medicines to procedures out-of-pocket. Her family’s finances quickly dwindled. Even with a stable job, the cost of her treatment proved insurmountable.
It was during these struggles that Katherine first heard about the Malasakit Center program.
“Noong una, skeptic pa. Alam mo naman, s’yempre, matagal ka na nagda-dialysis… ‘Di ba, parang ‘ano ba ‘yan? Totoo ba yan?’” Katherine recalls. But soon enough, she saw it for herself at the hospital: a fully operational Malasakit Center, ready to assist with the kind of support she had only wished for years prior.
Through the Malasakit Center, Katherine was able to receive free medicines that had once been too expensive for her family to afford consistently. This aid helped her family climb out of debt, allowing her to focus on her health and recovery.
“‘Yung dating binibili ko na sobrang mahal, kaya nalubog kami sa utang… ngayon, okay ‘yun, kasi talagang libre kong nakukuha from the government,” she added.
Now approaching her 16th year on dialysis, Katherine credits not only her personal resolve but also the spiritual guidance that has accompanied her journey. She is deeply grateful for Go’s compassion and commitment, saying,
“Nabulungan niya (God) si Senator Bong Go, lalo na, ‘no, na siya rin ‘yung nagtayo ng Malasakit Center… Ba’t niya naisip ‘yun? S’yempre, binulungan din siya ni God na para tumulong sa tao.”
For Katherine, the assistance she received through the Malasakit Center was an answer to prayer, a reminder that help and solidarity are indeed within reach.
Malasakit Centers are one-stop shops aiming to support impoverished patients in reducing their hospital costs to the least possible amount. Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program.
As of now, 166 Malasakit Centers are operational across the country, poised to assist with patients’ medical expenses. The DOH reports that the Malasakit Center program has already provided aid to more than 15 million Filipinos.
Katherine’s story shines as a testament to the difference Malasakit Centers make. To her, they embody a message of care and compassion from one Filipino to another.
Meanwhile, Go reinforced his commitment to serve the Filipino people, especially those in need.
“Bilang inyong Mr. Malasakit, anumang pagsubok ang ating haharapin sa susunod na mga araw, patuloy akong magseserbisyo sa inyong lahat dahil bisyo ko na ang magserbisyo at naniniwala ako na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo sa Diyos,” Go said.
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