Go files 12 health, labor and social protection bills

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said his legislative focus in the 20th Congress is on expanding health services, strengthening social protection for vulnerable groups, and addressing the needs of workers and professionals across sectors.

This week, he filed 12 Senate bills, the fourth batch of measures under his office since his reelection in May 2025.

One of them, Senate Bill 1290 or the OFW Ward Act of 2025, seeks to establish special facilities for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their dependents. Go said the measure would require Department of Health-retained hospitals to have OFW wards for their exclusive use when they need confinement.

He also filed SBN 1293, the proposed Magna Carta for Day Care Workers, and SBN 1285, the Magna Carta of the Drug Enforcement Officers and Other Personnel of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), which he said would provide benefits for anti-drug enforcement personnel.

For workers in the freelance economy, Go proposed SBN 1283, or the Food, Grocery, and Pharmacy Delivery Services Protection Act.

To support agriculture, he filed SBN 1284, which seeks to strengthen the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC). Go said the measure aims to improve PCIC services and encourage private sector participation in agricultural insurance to help farmers manage production risks.

Other measures include: SBN 1282, the Electrical Engineering Act of 2025, to enhance professional regulation in the sector; SBN 1289, creating the MIMAROPA Regional Hospital in Oriental Mindoro; SBN 1288, expanding the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Medical Center in Bohol; and SBN 1286, the Standardization of Date Labels Act, which would mandate a uniform labeling system for food and drug products.

Also decked were SBN 1287, the Salary Standardization Law VI, directing the Department of Budget and Management to implement new salary adjustments for government officials and employees. Go was also an author and co-sponsor of SSL V enacted in 2020.

Likewise, Go filed SBN 1292, the Real Estate Salesperson Registration Speed Act, to support the real estate industry; and SBN 1291, the Autism Cooperation, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act, which promotes the welfare of persons with autism.

Go said these measures reflect his vision for a government that prioritizes health, social protection and labor reforms.

“Hard work, compassion, and better service are what I can offer to my fellow Filipinos. I will not waste your trust and I will not waste time. From day one of my term, I have dedicated myself to serving the Filipino people,” Go said.