Continued service for Filipinos amid challenges

Continued service for Filipinos amid challenges | Daily Tribune

In recent weeks, we have faced various challenges and unfounded allegations. But public service is not only about the noise — it is about remaining focused on the people who placed their trust in us, the Filipino people.

Now, more than ever, is the best time to show more compassion and malasakit for our countrymen. We should not forget why we are here — to serve and not to be served.

Many of our fellow Filipinos continue to suffer from recurring calamities and hardships. That is why we must concentrate on programs and legislation that truly uplift lives and strengthen our nation.

As vice chair of the Senate Committee on Health, I take pride in three flagship health initiatives that have improved access to medical services for millions of Filipinos: the Malasakit Centers, Super Health Centers and Regional Specialty Centers.

The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop where concerned agencies are brought under one roof to ensure that medical assistance programs are within 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 167 Malasakit Centers to date have helped more than 17 million Filipinos nationwide.

The Super Health Center, if implemented properly, provides primary healthcare services at the community level — specifically offering critical early disease detection and Konsulta services from PhilHealth — without compelling our people in far-flung areas to travel to big cities where major hospitals are found. I have been continuously reminding the Department of Health to ensure that these centers are operational so that our people can truly benefit from them.

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

Filipinos deserve the best. That is why, as Mr. Malasakit, I call on everyone to seek only the truth amid the noise, not to divert from the real issue, and to hold accountable those who committed anomalies.

I will not stop serving the Filipino people and delivering actions and results that will help improve the lives of many, especially the poor, the needy and the sick.

Meanwhile, on 21 October, we underscored our long-standing commitment to patient-centered healthcare as we joined officials of the University of the Philippines–Philippine General Hospital during the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the newly completed Balay Lingap. The halfway house, which we pushed for, provides temporary shelter for patient companions who would otherwise face sleepless nights in waiting areas or costly stays elsewhere.

The idea of halfway houses started years ago in Davao City during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. From those early beginnings, the concept evolved into a model for national hospitals — an initiative designed to ease the hardship of families and other companions who often travel and bear silent sacrifices for their patients.

On 22 October, we personally went to Barangay 127 in Pasay City to aid 100 fire victims. There, we also visited the family of Jamzy Jamero, a 10-year-old and the lone casualty of the fire, offering personal condolences and extending further aid to support them during their time of grief.

On 23 October, we were invited to the Philippine Association of Schools of Medical Technology and Public Health’s 55th Annual National Convention in Caloocan City.

Meanwhile, the previous week, the Malasakit Team tirelessly went to various grassroots communities to extend aid to fire victims in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur; Cebu City; and Quezon City. We also provided assistance to micro-entrepreneurs and indigents in several towns in Tarlac and Bulacan.

As a nation, we continue to face the massive problem of corruption. As your senator, I am one with the Filipino people in this crusade to hold accountable those responsible for this mess. We will not stop until the real masterminds in the flood control and ghost projects scandal are punished. We will not allow any diversionary tactics from the real issues.

And as your Mr. Malasakit, I will continue to serve because serving is my passion — and I believe that service to the people is service to God.