Senator Christopher “Bong” Go personally attended the launch of the country’s 160th Malasakit Center at the Davao Occidental General Hospital in Malita last Friday as he stressed that the centers are designed to serve all Filipinos, embodying the principle that no one should be left behind, especially in times of medical need.

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography and the father of Malasakit Centers, the lawmaker stressed that it is because of his advocacy of helping those in need that pushed him to create the centers.

Malasakit Centers bring together representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

“These one-stop shops aim to support impoverished patients in reducing their hospital costs to the least possible amount,” Go said.

The senator is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program. The Malasakit Center in the hospital is the first in Davao Occidental, ensuring that every province in Davao Region has at least one Malasakit Center.

Go shared that other Malasakit Centers in the region are located at Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital in Digos City, Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City, Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City, Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center in Mati City, and Davao de Oro Provincial Hospital in Montevista.

According to the DoH, these centers have assisted more than 10 million Filipinos nationwide.

Go also commended DoH Secretary Ted Herbosa as well as local officials including Congressman Claude Bautista; Congresswoman Claudine Lim, Governor Franklin Bautista, ABC President Bianca Bautista-Navarra and Vice Governor Lorna Bandigan for their efforts to improve healthcare services in the province.

Meanwhile, Go also extended assistance to 130 patients and 182 frontliners. They all received rice packs, masks, vitamins, snacks and other forms of aid while select recipients received shirts, a mobile phone, shoes, a bicycle, and balls for basketball and volleyball.

Still in line with his efforts to bolster the health sector in the grassroots, Go shared his support for constructing several Super Health Centers nationwide. Through the collective efforts of the DoH, local government units, and fellow lawmakers, sufficient funds have been allocated under the DoH for the construction of around 700 Super Health Centers, including three in Davao Occidental.