Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Tuesday, 12 March, urged job-seeking Filipinos to help the government bring medical assistance programs closer to poor and indigent patients through the Malasakit Centers.

Go made the remarks during the public hearing of the Senate Committee on Health he presided as he raised concerns about the lack of personnel from partner agencies which was due to vacancies according to agency representatives present.

Established under Republic Act 11463, which Go principally sponsored and is one of the authors, Malasakit Centers streamline access to medical and financial assistance for indigent patients. They achieve this by consolidating services from the Department of Health, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

During the hearing, Go, chairperson of the Committee on Health, questioned the adequacy of staffing from the agencies in these centers, particularly highlighting the critical shortages that hamper the Malasakit centers’ operations.

Director Girlie Veloso from the Malasakit Program Office of the DoH stated that there are already 161 established Malasakit Centers. She also provided an update on the staffing status of Malasakit Centers nationwide per agency.

As of January, before the opening of two recent centers, only 96 PCSO representatives were stationed across 159 Malasakit Centers, leaving 63 centers without PCSO personnel.

Additionally, the DSWD has deployed 136 representatives to these centers, while PhilHealth has contributed 106 representatives out of 159 centers.

Meanwhile, Go extended support to Filipinos whose livelihood has been adversely affected by the global health crisis in Barangay Alabang, Muntinlupa City on Monday, 11 March.

The activity was held at the Alabang Public Market, where Go’s Malasakit Team provided relief items, such as snacks, masks, vitamins, shirts, and balls for volleyball and basketball, to 146 displaced workers. There were also select recipients of shoes and a mobile phone.