Senator Christopher "Bong" Go provided assistance to recovering fire victims in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental on Wednesday, 11 October.
Held at the municipal building, Go's team assisted a total of 31 affected families with shirts, masks, vitamins, snacks, and balls for basketball and volleyball. There were also select recipients of shoes.
Meanwhile, a team from the National Housing Authority (NHA) distributed housing assistance to qualified families to help rebuild their homes.
"Yung mga nag-qualify ay mabibigyan ng National Housing Authority ng ayuda pambili ng housing materials tulad ng pako, yero at iba pa upang maisaayos muli ang kanilang mga tirahan," Go said in a video message.
Go expressed confidence that following the implementation of Republic Act No. 11589 or the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Modernization Act of 2021, the country's fire response and prevention efforts will further improve.
RA 11589, which was primarily authored and co-sponsored by Go in the Senate, mandates the modernization of the fire bureau through the acquisition of new equipment, recruitment of additional personnel, and provision of specialized training for firefighters, among others. It also tasks the BFP to conduct monthly fire prevention campaigns and information drives in every local government unit, in partnership with the Department of Interior and Local Government.
"Saksi ako sa hinagpis na nararamdaman ng mga biktima ng sunog. Kada buwan, ilang komunidad ang ating binibisita sa iba't ibang panig ng bansa upang makapagbigay ng tulong. 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," the senator shared.
"Obligasyon ng gobyerno na maging handa sa oras ng sakuna kaya nag-file ako ng batas para mabigyan ng karagdagang kagamitan at personnel ang ating Bureau of Fire Protection," he added.
Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, likewise urged those with health issues to visit Northern Mindanao Medical Center and J.R. Borja General Hospital in Cagayan de Oro City, where they can conveniently avail of medical assistance through the Malasakit Centers.
There are currently 159 Malasakit Centers nationwide that have assisted over seven million poor and indigent Filipinos. The Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 was principally authored and sponsored by Go to ensure that indigent Filipinos have convenient access to medical assistance programs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
"Tutulungan ho kayo ng Malasakit Center at kung kailangan niyo po ng dagdag na tulong, lapitan niyo lang po ang aking opisina. Bukas po ang aking opisina para po sa inyong lahat. Nandirito lang po ako para magserbisyo sa inyo at tumulong sa abot ng aking makakaya," he reassured.
Meanwhile, the senator also continues to push for the establishment of Super Health Centers nationwide. Through the efforts of fellow lawmakers, 307 Super Health Centers were funded in 2022 and another 322 in 2023 nationwide.
The centers offer database management, out-patient, 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, which makes remote diagnosis and treatment of patients possible.
In Misamis Oriental, necessary funds were allocated to construct Super Health Centers in Gingoog City, Binuangan, Libertad, Balingasag, Claveria, Initao, and Tagoloan. There will also be six other Super Health Centers in Cagayan de Oro City.
Moreover, Go is the principal sponsor and one of the authors of the recently passed RA 11959 or the Regional Specialty Centers Act. The said law mandates the establishment of Regional Specialty Centers within existing DOH regional hospitals.
"It's a multiyear plan. Halimbawa, kung may problema sa heart, kidney, lung, neonatal, mental, ito pong mga ortho sa mga may karamdaman sa buto, o kahit cancer… ilalagay na po sa lahat ng DOH regional hospital sa buong Pilipinas ang mga specialty services na ito para ilapit po natin ang serbisyo medikal sa ating mga kababayan," explained Go.
As vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go supported flood control projects in Magsaysay, Medina and Gingoog City; construction of multipurpose buildings in Initao, Magsaysay, and Gingoog City; rehabilitation of local roads in Baliangao, Balingasag, Balingoan, Initao, Lagonglong, Laguindingan, Libertad, Lugait, Magsaysay, Manticao and El Salvador City; and construction of water systems in Balingasag and Jasaan.
In Cagayan de Oro City, Go supported the construction of a drainage system and flood control structures along the Iponan River, the acquisition of several ambulance units and fire and dump trucks, and the construction of a three-story multipurpose building in Barangay 33.
The previous day, Go's team also assisted fire victims in Gingoog City.
