The Office of Senator Bong Go spearheaded a relief activity for fire victims in Barangay Poblacion, Talisay City, Cebu, on Wednesday, 31 January.

In a video message, Go reaffirmed his continued assistance to distressed communities in rebuilding efforts to help them recover from the crisis.

“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. Pangalagaan natin ang buhay na ibinigay sa atin ng Diyos,” Go encouraged.

Held at Talisay City Sports Complex, Go's Malasakit Team provided grocery packs, water containers, meals, shirts, vitamins, and masks to 93 affected families. He also distributed balls for basketball and volleyball, cellular phones, and shoes to select recipients.

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

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

Under Republic Act 11589, which was primarily authored and co-sponsored by Go in the Senate, the BFP modernization program includes acquiring new fire equipment, hiring more firefighters, and providing specialized training, among others.

Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, extended support to residents facing health issues, recommending they seek the services of the Malasakit Center at the Cebu South Medical Center in Talisay City for medical assistance.

Malasakit Centers are one-stop shops providing convenient access to medical assistance programs for poor and indigent patients. Various agencies offer these programs, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Health, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.

Go is the principal author and sponsor of the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, and there are currently 159 Malasakit Centers nationwide. According to DOH, these centers have helped more or less ten million Filipinos.

In Cebu City, Malasakit Centers are located at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), St. Anthony Mother and Child Hospital, and Cebu City Medical Center. Meanwhile, there are other Malasakit Centers at Cebu Provincial Hospital in Carcar City, Eversley Childs Sanitarium General Hospital in Mandaue City, and Lapu-Lapu City Hospital in Lapu-Lapu City.

Furthermore, Go shared he continues to push for establishing Super Health Centers nationwide. Through the collective efforts of the DOH led by Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, local government units, and fellow lawmakers, sufficient funds have been allocated under the DOH for the construction of 307 Super Health Centers in 2022, 322 in 2023, and 132 in 2024.

As the lead implementing agency, DOH identifies the strategic locations where such centers shall be established, 21 of which will be built in the province of Cebu.

Go also emphasized the importance of RA 11959, known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act, for which he was the principal sponsor and one of the authors in the Senate. This law is a critical component of the healthcare legislative agenda of the Marcos Administration, as detailed in the Philippine Development Plan for 2023 to 2028. It aims to create Regional Specialty Centers within current regional hospitals overseen by the DOH.

Currently, there are three Regional Specialty Centers inside VSMMC, including cardiovascular care, neonatal care, and trauma care. There will be other specialty centers set to be established inside the hospital, such as renal care and transplant center, lung care, brain and spine care, orthopedic center, physical rehabilitation medicine, infectious disease and tropical medicine, mental health, burn care, toxicology, cancer care, geriatric care, eye care, and dermatology care.

Lastly, as vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go supported the Diversion Road construction from Sudtunggan, Brgy. Basak to Brgy. Gabi, acquisition of multipurpose vehicles, and the construction of phase 4 of the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital Center Building.

On 21 January, Go also personally participated in the Sinulog festival in Cebu City where he also aided fire victims.