Senator Christopher “Bong” Go and his Malasakit Team extended support to flash flood victims in Talisay City, Negros Occidental on Thursday, 1 August.

In a video message, Go expressed his concern for the well-being of the victims and reiterated the importance of building a more disaster-resilient community. He highlighted the urgent need for proactive measures to mitigate the effects of natural calamities and ensure the safety and security of all Filipinos.

In line with his advocacy for enhanced disaster preparedness, Senator Go renewed his call for the passage of his filed Senate Bill No. 188, which seeks to establish the Department of Disaster Resilience, which aims to centralize and streamline the government's efforts in disaster risk reduction and management, ensuring a coordinated and efficient response to emergencies.

"The creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience is crucial in our fight against the devastating impacts of natural disasters. By having a dedicated agency, we can focus our resources and efforts on strengthening our communities and making our nation more resilient to the challenges posed by climate change and other hazards," Go said.

With the Philippines being prone to natural disasters, such as typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions, Go added that the establishment of a dedicated department is seen as a vital step towards safeguarding the country's future.

Held at the Barangay Zone 2 Covered Court, Go’s Malasakit Team coordinated with Congressman Kiko Benitez, Governor Bong Lacson, Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, Mayor Neil Lizares, and Vice Mayor Nic Jalandoni, among others, to distribute relief items such as grocery packs, snacks, shirts, basketballs, and volleyballs to 230 flood victims. There were also select recipients of shoes and a mobile phone.

In a separate distribution activity, the National Housing Authority extended emergency housing assistance to qualified beneficiaries, with the support of Senator Go, to help them further rebuild.

“Sinikap din natin na mabigyan sila ng National Housing Authority ng ayuda pambili ng housing materials tulad ng pako, yero at iba pa upang maisaayos muli ang kanilang mga tirahan,” Go highlighted.

“Itong EHAP program, isinulong ko ito noon at patuloy na sinusuportahang mapondohan ang programa ngayon upang mas marami pang mga biktima ng sakuna ang makapagpatayo ng maayos na bahay at makabangon muli mula sa trahedya,” he added.

Meanwhile, as part of his advocacy to strengthen the country’s health sector, Go, who is the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, encouraged the public to seek the services of the Malasakit Center located at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City.

Go started the Malasakit Centers initiative in 2018 as former President Rodrigo Duterte's Special Assistant. The program's first center opened in Cebu City. It was later institutionalized under Republic Act No. 11463, which was principally authored and sponsored by Go in 2019. Since then, the Department of Health (DOH) has reported that the 166 Malasakit Centers established have assisted approximately ten million underprivileged Filipinos nationwide.

“Patuloy kaming magseserbisyo sa inyo dahil bisyo ko ang magserbisyo at ako ay naniniwala na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo ‘yan sa Panginoon, serbisyo ‘yan kay Allah,” underscored Go.