Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Friday, 10 March, dispatched his team to Banate and Ajuy, Iloilo to deliver aid to residents who have been struggling amid the pandemic, recent calamities, and other crisis situations.

“Kami po sa gobyerno ay naririto lang po na handang magserbisyo po sa inyong lahat, sa kapwa naming Pilipino. Magseserbisyo po kami sa inyong lahat sa abot ng aming makakaya. Magtulungan lang po tayo, magbayanihan at magmalasakit po tayo sa ating kapwa Pilipino,” said Go in his video message to the beneficiaries.

The senator’s team distributed meals, vitamins, masks, and snacks to 300 vulnerable Ilonggos from various sectoral groups at Barangay Sto. Rosario in Ajuy and Banate Stadium. Additionally, they provided select beneficiaries with cellular phones, shoes, umbrellas, and balls for basketball and volleyball.

The Department of Labor and Employment also provided assistance to each resident under its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Program.

Go, who serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, offered additional assistance to those with health concerns as part of his commitment to providing Filipinos better access to quality healthcare services.

He also advised the beneficiaries and their loved ones to visit any of the four Malasakit Centers in the province if they need medical aid. Malasakit Centers are located at the Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center Extension Hospital in Barotac Nuevo, Western Visayas Sanitarium and General Hospital in Santa Barbara, and West Visayas State University Medical Center and Western Visayas Medical Center, both in Iloilo City.

There are now 156 Malasakit Centers nationwide which have assisted over seven million Filipinos. Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the program.

Go is also committed to supporting the construction of Super Health Centers in Iloilo City and in the towns of Anilao, Carles, Igbaras, Maasin, Pavia, San Joaquin, and Sara.

The Super Health Center is an improved version of the rural health unit. It offers health services including database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray and ultrasound), pharmacy, and ambulatory surgical unit. Other available services are eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) service; oncology centers; physical therapy and rehabilitation center; and telemedicine, where remote diagnosis and treatment of patients will be done.

“Sa tulong ng mga kapwa ko mambabatas, isinulong natin ang pagpapatayo ng mga Super Health Centers sa buong Pilipinas dahil alam ko po kung gaano ninyo kailangan na mapalapit sa inyo ang serbisyong medikal ng gobyerno,” cited Go.

“Yung mga nasa probinsiya po, lalo na yung mga nasa liblib na lugar, yun po ang target na tayuan ng mga Super Health Centers. Para po masiguro na hindi na po nila kailangan lumayo at gumastos ng malaki para lang makapagpaospital,” he added.

Some 307 SHCs were funded in 2022 through Go’s initiative and with the support of the DOH and his fellow lawmakers. Additional funds for at least 322 SHCs were also allocated to the 2023 health budget.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go has also supported various infrastructure initiatives to help improve the delivery of basic services in the province, such as the construction of multipurpose buildings in Barotac Viejo, completion of various barangay health stations throughout Iloilo City and the construction of a multipurpose building in the Iloilo City Public Market.

Other major initiatives he supported include the concreting or construction of roads in Badiangan, Banate, Carles, Dumangas, Lemery, Miag-ao, and Sara; completion of the barangay health stations in Leon; construction of a flood control system in Balasan; construction of a seawall in Banate; construction of the legislative building complete with facilities in San Dionisio; and improvement of the public parks in Dueñas.

On 12 March, Go also personally visited Passi, Iloilo to assist in recovering typhoon victims there.