Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, adopted son of CALABARZON with familial roots from Batangas, provided assistance to struggling residents in Batangas City on Thursday, 26 October.

Held at Barangay 24 Poblacion Hall, Go's team assisted 84 Batangueños and distributed snacks, masks, vitamins, and shirts. Meanwhile, there were select recipients who received a cellular phone, pairs of shoes, and balls for basketball and volleyball from the senator.

In coordination with Barangay Captain Emma Tumambing, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) also conducted an orientation as part of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program for the qualified beneficiaries.

"Sa totoo lang po, 'wag po kayong magpasalamat sa amin. Kami po ang dapat magpasalamat sa inyo dahil binigyan n'yo kami ng pagkakataon na makapagserbisyo sa inyo," Go said in a video message.

"Kami po ay probinsyano tulad ninyo na binigyan n'yo po ng pagkakataon na makapagserbisyo sa inyo. Kaya hinding-hindi ko sasayangin ang pagkakataon na ibinigay ninyo sa akin. Magtatrabaho po ako para sa Pilipino sa abot ng aking makakaya," he added.

Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, encouraged Batangueños in need of medical assistance to seek the services of the Malasakit Center at Batangas Medical Center in the city and Batangas Provincial Hospital in Lemery.

First established in 2018, the Malasakit Centers are designed to be one-stop shops for all medical assistance programs offered by concerned agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program. To date, 159 operational centers have helped more than seven million Filipinos nationwide, according to DOH.