A Pasay City resident who suffered severe fractures after a fall at City Hall was able to undergo major surgery and leave the hospital without paying a centavo, thanks to assistance from the Malasakit Center at Pasay General Hospital.

Lolita Martin, who was injured on 4 April 2025, after misjudging the height of a staircase due to impaired vision, required metal implants for fractures in her hip and thigh.

“I was worried because I had no source of funds for the implants,” Martin said in Filipino. “When I was already confined, the Malasakit Center approached my husband to interview him about the metal I needed. When I was discharged on 25 April, I didn’t pay a single centavo.”

The Malasakit Center program, a one-stop shop for indigent patients, covered all hospital-related charges, including professional fees for the surgery. To date, 167 centers are operational nationwide, having assisted over 17 million Filipinos according to the Department of Health.

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, the principal author of the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, vowed to continue prioritizing social services for those in need.

In a separate development at the Senate, Go expressed his formal support for the Senate Committee on Ethics during its organizational meeting on 4 February. Speaking seven months into the 20th Congress, Go stressed the need for institutional integrity and strict adherence to due process.

“The Committee on Ethics plays a crucial role in ensuring the integrity and credibility of the Senate,” Go said. “Treatment must be equal for everyone.”

The senator warned colleagues against allowing partisan politics to influence the committee’s work, stressing that all proceedings must be insulated from personal considerations and anchored solely on facts and evidence.