Most Filipinos already got back to work from the holiday season as we are now embarking on the new year, a new opportunity for service, compassion, and hard work for the Filipinos. As we welcome 2025, our work continues to help our kababayans in every way we can.

As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, I believe in the importance of recharging not just our body, but also our minds so that we can perform and act well on our duties for our family, our community and the country. If we look out for our health, we can better serve and help our people, especially the poor, the needy and the oppressed.

Let us remember that health is wealth, and it is important to have ready and accessible services that will tend to our healthcare needs to keep us healthy and fit.

As your Mr. Malasakit, we continue to our goal to provide better health facilities, improved medical benefits, accessible medical assistance through the continuing operations of Malasakit Centers, as well as the establishment of more Super Health Centers and the implementation of the Regional Specialty Centers law to bring crucial medical services in various communities, among others.

The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop where concerned agencies are brought under one roof to ensure that medical assistance programs are within the reach of poor and financially incapacitated Filipinos.

The program is institutionalized under Republic Act 11463, which we principally authored and sponsored. Since its establishment, the 166 Malasakit Centers to date have helped more than 15 million Filipinos nationwide.

Super Health Centers provide primary health care services at the community level, specifically providing critical early disease detection and provision of Konsulta services from PhilHealth, without compelling our people in far-flung areas to travel to big cities where major hospitals are found.

The Regional Specialty Centers Act, which we also pushed as author and principal sponsor, aims to bring specialized medical services to Filipinos in the regions. This includes cancer, geriatric, cardiovascular, lung, kidney, mental health and eye care, among others.

Together, let us aim for greater heights with a healthy body and mind this year. Meanwhile, before 2024 comes to an end, the previous week, my Malasakit Team aided 630 typhoon victims in Malita, Davao Occidental in coordination with Vice Mayor Esma Bautista.

Our Malasakit Team also assisted the victims of the alleged shooting incident inside the bus in Makilala, North Cotabato, which resulted to the death of one passenger and two wounded police personnel manning the border checkpoint in Davao del Sur.

Together, let us continue the compassionate kind of service our people deserve and welcome the new year with utmost determination to make life better for our fellow Filipinos.

Go lang nang go pagdating sa pagmamalasakit at pagseserbisyo! Bisyo ko ang magserbisyo at naniniwala ako na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo sa Diyos.