SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go’s office coordinated with Alabang Barangay Captain Christine “Tintin” Abas and provided assistance to fire victims in Muntinlupa City on Tuesday, November 21.
Go’s team held the relief activity at Morning Breeze Subdivision-covered court and provided relief items, including financial assistance, grocery packs, water containers, snacks, shirts, masks, vitamins, and balls for basketball and volleyball to 17 affected families.
Meanwhile, the National Housing Authority (NHA) assessed the victims for possible housing assistance through the Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP) which Go advocated for to provide disaster victims with much-needed aid for housing materials to rebuild their houses.
Go also highlighted the ongoing modernization initiative of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). Under Republic Act 11589, primarily authored and co-sponsored by Go, BFP is mandated to undergo a ten-year modernization program aimed at bolstering its capacity to respond adeptly to emergencies.
The modernization program is strategically crafted to furnish the BFP with upgraded firefighting equipment, state-of-the-art rescue tools, and specialized training to adeptly manage diverse emergency situations with speed and efficiency.
“Magdasal po tayo at ipagdasal po natin ‘yung mga mahal natin sa buhay. Ang gamit po ay nabibili. Ang pera po ay kikitain rin po natin, magsipag lang tayo. Subalit ‘yung perang kikitain ay hindi po nabibili ang buhay. Ang nawalang buhay po ay wala na. A lost life is a lost life forever,” Go said.
Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, urged individuals facing health concerns to seek assistance at any of the 31 Malasakit Centers strategically located across Metro Manila, including the one situated at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in the city.
These centers are specifically designed to support indigent Filipinos by consolidating all relevant agencies in one accessible location, ensuring that medical assistance programs are easily available to patients. Since its establishment in 2018, the Malasakit Centers program, as reported by the Department of Health (DOH), has successfully provided aid to over ten million Filipinos through its 159 operational centers nationwide.
RA 11463, also known as the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, was principally authored and sponsored by Go.
In addition to the Malasakit Centers, Go has been a strong advocate for the establishment of Super Health Centers throughout Metro Manila. These health facilities offer a wide range of services, including database management, out-patient, dental, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray, ultrasound), pharmacy, and ambulatory surgical unit. Other available services are eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) service; oncology centers; physical therapy and rehabilitation centers; and telemedicine.
These centers can also be used as satellite vaccination sites for Filipinos who live far from the urban centers. Through the collective efforts of DOH, local government units, and fellow lawmakers, sufficient funds have been allocated under DOH for the construction of 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and 322 in 2023.
Furthermore, Go is a principal sponsor and one of the authors of RA 11959, also known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act. This legislation requires the creation of Regional Specialty Centers within existing DOH regional hospitals. Each center is designated to offer specific specialties, extending services akin to those provided by hospitals in Metro Manila, such as the Heart Center, Lung Center, and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, to communities in closer proximity.
Go, vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, has also supported various initiatives in the city, including the construction of multipurpose buildings and the acquisition of multipurpose vehicles.
