Senator Christopher “Bong” Go is weaving together legislation and personal outreach to strengthen a patient-centered healthcare system that touches lives inside and outside hospital walls.

From 8 to 13 September, his “Palugaw ni Mr. Malasakit” initiative went beyond providing warm meals to patients, caregivers, and health workers in Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao. For Go, food served in public hospitals is more than nourishment, it is a gesture that lightens the load of those facing medical challenges.

In the capital, the program made its rounds at ten facilities, including Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, Philippine General Hospital, and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. Go also marked a milestone in Quezon City where he attended the inauguration of a halfway house he supported at Quirino Memorial Medical Center (QMMC).

The facility offers temporary shelter to patients and their families from distant provinces who have nowhere to stay while undergoing treatment. Go recalled how the idea first took shape in Davao.

“Kaya po ako nagkaroon ng idea. Nauna po ‘yan sa Davao noong panahon pa po ni Mayor Duterte doon. Pinalago natin, ginawa nating apat na floor. So sabi ko, pwede ba tayong maglagay po sa ibang lugar? At natutuwa po ako na mayroon pong lote rito sa QMMC at mayroon kayong bagong bahay pasilungan na kahit papaano may pagpapahingahan naman po ang ating mga kababayan,” he said.

In Visayas, patients at Ormoc District Hospital and Palo Schistosomiasis Hospital shared meals through the initiative, while in Mindanao, health workers and families received the same support at hospitals in Davao, Cotabato, Kidapawan, and Bukidnon.

The senator emphasized that his efforts complement the Malasakit Centers, institutionalized through Republic Act No. 11463 which he principally authored and sponsored. These one-stop shops help indigent patients access government medical assistance. To date, 167 Malasakit Centers across the country have provided aid to over 17 million Filipinos, according to the Department of Health.

“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,” Go emphasized, highlighting his personal commitment to extending compassionate care nationwide.