Amid the devastation from the recent magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go stressed the urgent need to fully implement the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act to provide permanent, disaster-resilient evacuation centers nationwide.

Go, who was a principal author and co-sponsor of the act, made the remarks during a visit last 3 October to Hacienda Filomena in Barangay Binabag, Bogo City, where a rockslide killed 11 residents.

The senator personally extended his condolences to the bereaved families and offered immediate support.

Later that day, Go, alongside Bogo City Mayor Maria Cielo Martinez, Board Member Tining Martinez and Malasakit@Bayanihan Partylist Representative Girlie Veloso, turned over relief goods to families affected by the quake.

Known as “Mr. Malasakit,” Go appealed for national solidarity and prayer for the victims and the entire province of Cebu “amid this intense challenge.” He assured affected families that they were not alone in their grief.

During his visit, Go pressed government agencies for the full rollout of Republic Act 12076, or the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act. He argued that if the legally mandated evacuation centers had been prioritized, many lives could have been better protected during the 30 September calamity.

“We have a law now, the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act. This law mandates that the government, through the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), must prioritize the construction of evacuation centers,” Go said, criticizing the misuse of infrastructure funds.

He suggested that prioritizing these centers would be more effective than pouring money into “flood control projects that are being used as milking cows by some personalities.”

“If they had prioritized this evacuation center, these people wouldn’t be waiting; they would have a proper evacuation center,” Go said, reminding the DPWH that the act is a binding law that requires decisive implementation.

Go’s call comes as communities in Bogo City and nearby San Remigio continue to reel from the disaster, highlighting a recurring problem of safe, temporary shelter that the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act was designed to address.

Before concluding his trip to northern Cebu, Go visited Medellin and San Remigio to meet more affected residents and extend similar assistance where he stressed that proper infrastructure and preparedness are key to saving lives.