Senator Bong Go personally inspected the progress of the ongoing construction of the Maayon town Super Health Center in Capiz on Sunday, 12 March, as part of his ongoing efforts to further strengthen public health care, especially at the grassroots.

Citing how the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the crucial need to fill in the gaps in our country’s healthcare system, Go shared how Super Health Centers can significantly help reduce occupancy rates in main hospitals by making available basic health services in communities, such as database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray, ultrasound), pharmacy, and ambulatory surgical unit, among others.

“Ito pong Super Health Center is a medium type of a polyclinic. Mas maliit lang po siya sa hospital, mas malaki sa rural health unit (at meron) dito sa Ma-ayon. Tatlo po ang itatayong Super Health Center sa year 2022 dito po sa probinsya ng Capiz, at walo ngayong 2023. At isa po sa napili ang Ma-ayon sa lalagyan po ng Super Health Center,” Go shared in his speech.

Through Go’s initiative and with the help of his fellow legislators, some 307 SHCs were funded in 2022. He also successfully pushed for the funding of at least 322 more SHCs in this year’s health budget.

There will be more Super Health Centers to be established in strategic areas in the province, such as in Dumalag, Tapaz, Jamindan, Mambusao, Panay, Panitan, Pilar, President Roxas, Sigma, and Roxas City.

Go also encouraged everyone to seek the services of the Malasakit Center at Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital in Roxas City where they may conveniently apply for available medical assistance programs by the government.

Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Go principally authored and sponsored Republic Act No. 11463, otherwise known as the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which primarily aims to help indigent patients lower their medical bills. Currently, there are 156 operational centers nationwide.

After the inspection, Go proceeded to Maayon Civic Center where he led a relief operation for 1,000 Typhoon Paeng victims to assist in their recovery.

The senator and his team distributed grocery packs, vitamins, masks, snacks, umbrellas, and shirts to the affected residents. They also gave away bicycles, cellular phones, shoes, watches, and balls for basketball and volleyball to select beneficiaries.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go likewise supported the construction of several river control structures, road rehabilitation along Iloilo East Coast to Capiz Road, and the road concretion along Maayon to Palagian Provincial Road.

On the same day, Go also visited the province of Iloilo where he likewise personally aided typhoon victims in Passi City before joining the Philippine Basketball Association All-Star festivities.