Senator Christopher "Bong" Go's outreach team, together with Mayor Marilou Flores Morillo and Councilor Jelina Maree Magsuci, conducted a relief operation at Barangay Kalap Covered Court in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro on Wednesday, 11 October.

Go's team distributed shirts, and balls for basketball and volleyball for 500 disadvantaged residents. They also gave away shoes, mobile phones, and watches to select recipients.

Meanwhile, financial assistance was also given to qualified residents from the national government through its program to assist indigents.

Go reiterated the crucial significance of pro-poor programs in bridging the socio-economic gap in the country. He is particularly focused on bolstering the health sector to ensure access to quality healthcare for all.

Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, encouraged those who need health-related assistance to visit the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital in the city, where a Malasakit Center is located.

To ensure that the government's medical assistance programs are within reach, Go initiated the Malasakit Centers program in 2018. It was later institutionalized by virtue of Republic Act No. 11463, which he principally authored and sponsored.

The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop, where Filipinos can conveniently access medical assistance programs offered by the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). To date, there are 159 Malasakit Centers nationwide.

"Mayroon na po tayong 159 na Malasakit Centers sa buong Pilipinas na handang tumulong sa inyo. Pinirmahan ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte noong naging senador na po ako. Nasa loob na po ng ospital ang apat na ahensya ng gobyerno: PhilHealth, PCSO, DOH, DSWD. Lapitan n'yo lang po ang Malasakit Center para sa inyong pagpapagamot," cited Go.

Meanwhile, Go also continues to bring government medical services closer to the grassroots as he advocates for the establishment of Super Health Centers in various parts of the country.

Through the collective efforts of fellow lawmakers, sufficient funds have been allocated for the construction of 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and 322 in 2023. DOH, the lead implementing agency, identifies the strategic areas where they will be constructed.

In Oriental Mindoro, Super Health Centers will be constructed in Bansud, Bulalacao, Mansalay, and Calapan City — the last one's groundbreaking having been personally attended by Go last March.

Moreover, the senator is the principal sponsor and one of the authors of RA 11959, or the Regional Specialty Centers Act. The said law mandates the establishment of Regional Specialty Centers within existing DOH regional hospitals.

Each center will host a different specialty, bringing services such as those available in Metro Manila-based hospitals like the Heart Center, Lung Center, and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, closer to the people in the region.

In line with his support for the province, Go, vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, also helped in securing funds for the construction of farm-to-market roads in Bulalacao, Bansud, Gloria, Pola, and Socorro; construction of multipurpose buildings in Bongabong, and Bulalacao; construction of potable water system in Socorro and Pinamalayan; acquisition of multipurpose vehicles in Pola; and acquisition of medical equipment for the local government of Bongabong.

Last March, Go likewise personally attended the inauguration of the country's largest port passenger terminal building at the Port of Calapan City. He also briefly inspected the Sentrong Pangkabataan, the funding of which he likewise supported.