Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, along with Congresswoman Ma. Cynthia King-Chan and Mayor Junard "Ahong" Chan, personally spearheaded a relief activity for more than a thousand fire victims in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu on Tuesday, 19 December.

Attending to the needs of 1,575 households impacted by the fire, Go reaffirmed his continued assistance to distressed communities in their rebuilding efforts to help them in their recovery.

"Sa mga nasunugan, 'wag kayong mag-alala. Ang importante buhay tayo, ang importante magtulungan tayo. Ang gamit atin 'yang malalabhan. Ang pera ating kikitain 'yan. Pero ang perang kikitain ay hindi mabibili ang buhay. A lost life is a lost life forever. Ang importante buhay tayo at magpasalamat tayo sa Panginoon na nandito tayo. Pangalagaan natin ang buhay na ibinigay sa atin ng Diyos," Go encouraged.

"Magtulungan lang tayo. Ang Pilipino kilala tayo sa pagtutulungan. Mayroong gobyerno na nandiyan. Si Mayor, isa itong matulungin na mayor… Mabait masyado, talagang matulungin. Masaya ako na silang dalawa ay nandito ngayon nagseserbisyo," he highlighted referring to Lapu-Lapu Mayor Ahong Chan and Congresswoman Cindi Chan.

Held at Barangay Pusok basketball court located under the Marcelo Fernan Bridge, Go and his Malasakit Team provided grocery packs, water containers, meals, shirts, vitamins, and masks to each affected household. He also distributed balls for basketball and volleyball, bicycles, cellular phones, shoes, and a watch to select recipients.

Meanwhile, representatives from the National Housing Authority and the Department of Trade and Industry assessed those eligible for their housing and livelihood assistance, respectively.

Go mentioned that the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is currently undergoing a ten-year modernization program, following the enactment of the BFP Modernization Act of 2021 to ensure that it is better prepared and equipped to respond to fire-related incidents.

Under Republic Act No. 11589, which was primarily authored and co-sponsored by Go in the Senate, the BFP modernization program includes the acquisition of new fire equipment, hiring more firefighters, and provision of specialized training, among others.

"Layunin ng batas na ito na within ten years, ma-modernize ang BFP, karagdagang kagamitan, karagdagang firefighters, at monthly education campaign na turuan ang ating mga kababayan na mag-ingat. Tulad ng huwag hayaang nakasindi ang kandila o kaya kapag nagluluto, o 'yung mga illegal na wire connections. Alam niyo bawat bahay na nasusunog, nadadamay po ang kapitbahay," said Go in an interview.