As chair of the Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go supported efforts to energize the community and promote grassroots sports development in the tranquil town of Pamplona in Cagayan Province.

The efforts began with Pamplona Mayor Digna Puzon Antonio, whose passion for sports and community development, partnered with Senator Go to request financial support from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), to revitalize the Pamplona Cultural and Sports Center which has been a venue to promote camaraderie, sportsmanship and unity in the locality.

The financial aid from the PSC, championed by Go, will be directed towards improving the sports center with better equipment to help young athletes develop their skills and talents.

“Sports weave resilience into the fabric of our communities, teaching our youth the values of teamwork and perseverance,” Go said.

Go has been emphasizing the role of sports in enhancing the well-being of Filipinos, asserting that active engagement in sports contributes to physical, psychological, and social health, which are vital for nation-building.

As vice chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, he has consistently advocated for an increased budget for sports programs. This includes additional funds to cover necessary repairs for the country’s sports infrastructure, including the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila, to support athletes better, as well as to strengthen support to elite athletes competing in the international stage while also supporting aspiring athletes at the grassroots level.

He was also instrumental in the establishment of the National Academy of Sports (NAS) by authoring and co-sponsoring Republic Act 11470. Situated in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac, the NAS merges secondary education with a sports-focused curriculum, providing a dual pathway for student-athletes to excel in their sports and academic pursuits.

Sports weave resilience into the fabric of our communities, teaching our youth the values of teamwork and perseverance.

Meanwhile, Go, during a personal visit to the Malasakit Center at Northern Samar Provincial Hospital in Catarman, Northern Samar offered further assistance to the indigent Filipinos in need of medical care.

Go is the father of the Malasakit Centers program, which establishes one-stop shops where relevant agencies — such as the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation — are gathered under one roof to ensure that medical assistance programs are accessible to the underprivileged and impoverished Filipino population.