SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go‘s commitment to serving the Filipinos towards recovery remains steadfast as his Malasakit team visited Lavezares, Northern Samar, and assisted struggling residents on Wednesday, May 22.
In a video message, Go recognized the challenges of crisis situations and assured the public that the government would continue to create programs to help Filipinos overcome these difficult times.
The senator then thanked the local officials, led by Congressman Paul Daza, Governor Edwin Ongchuan, Vice Governor Gary Lavin, BM Quintin Saludaga, Mayor Edito Saludaga, among others, for ensuring that their constituents are well-supported.
Furthermore, Go underlined his support for programs that would significantly benefit the poor, saying,
“Mga kababayan ko, magtulungan lang po tayo. Magbayanihan po tayo at magmalasakit po tayo sa ating kapwa Pilipino. Ginagawa po lahat ng gobyerno para po malampasan natin itong krisis na ito.”
Held at the Lavezares Municipal Gym, 34 indigents gathered and received shirts. Meanwhile, through his initiative in partnership with the local government, the qualified residents received financial support from the government.
As part of Go’s commitment as the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, the senator encouraged residents to visit the Malasakit Center located at Northern Samar Provincial Hospital in Catarman.
The Republic Act No. 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which Go principally authored and sponsored, was institutionalized by the Malasakit Centers program. These one-stop shops aim to support impoverished patients in reducing their hospital costs to the least possible amount.
Currently, 165 Malasakit Centers are operational nationwide, poised to assist with patients’ medical expenses, which provide aid to around ten million Filipinos, according to the DOH.
Go also emphasized the important role Super Health Centers play in improving healthcare access at the community level by bringing medical services closer to the people.
Super Health Centers are designed to alleviate the burden on hospitals and ensure that healthcare is more readily available to those in need within their localities by providing a range of services, from early disease detection to essential medical services.
Through the collective efforts of Go, fellow lawmakers, the Department of Health (DOH) led by Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa, and local government units, adequate funding was allocated for establishing more than 700 Super Health Centers nationwide, including 45 in Eastern Visayas with one in San Roque in Northern Samar.
“Maraming salamat po at ating tatandaan na minsan lang po tayo dadaan sa mundong ito kung ano pong kabutihan o tulong na pwede natin gawin sa atin kapwa ay gawin natin ngayon dahil hindi na tayo babalik sa mundong ito. Ako po ang inyong Senator Kuya Bong Go patuloy na magseserbisyo sa inyong lahat dahil ako po ay naniniwala na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo po yan sa Diyos,” he concluded.
