Tondo blaze victims get needed assistance
During the visit, Go also urged the public to support small and micro entrepreneurs striving to make an honest living despite economic disruptions, buying local street food — including bibingka, barbecue and balut — from vendors near the evacuation site.
SENATOR Christopher ‘Bong’ Go talks with residents and local vendors during relief distributions for fire victims in Tondo, Manila and during his visit, the senator purchased street food directly from neighborhood vendors to support small-scale entrepreneurs while assisting displaced families.
Photograph courtesy of Senator Christopher Bong Go/FACEBOOK
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go visited families displaced by a recent fire in Barangay 91, Tondo, Manila recently, reaffirming his commitment to direct constituent outreach alongside legislative work.
Addressing evacuees, Go said his duties extend beyond crafting laws in the Senate to personally checking on communities in crisis.
“Our job is legislation, as lawmakers. And I cannot bear just sitting in my office. Constituency and representation are part of our job, and that is you,” Go said. “As long as my body and schedule allow, I will visit you.”
He reminded residents to prioritize safety over material possessions, saying money can be earned and belongings replaced, whereas a lost life cannot be recovered.
During the visit, Go also urged the public to support small and micro entrepreneurs striving to make an honest living despite economic disruptions, buying local street food — including bibingka, barbecue and balut — from vendors near the evacuation site.
“Let us patronize our own. Let us help those who work properly and earn a clean, honorable living,” he said.
The relief operation was held in coordination with local officials, including Manila Councilor MC “Bobby Lim” LimYuen, barangay councilors, and former Representative Aniceto “John” Bertiz III. Go urged local leaders to ensure displaced residents have continuous access to government assistance as they rebuild.
Each of the 71 affected families received financial aid, grocery packs, water containers, vitamins, snacks, bags, shirts and pickleballs. Select beneficiaries also received shoes, a mobile phone, a watch and a bicycle.
Beyond immediate relief, Go stressed the need to bolster fire prevention and disaster response nationwide.
He cited Republic Act 11589, or the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act of 2021, which he principally authored and co-sponsored to upgrade firefighting equipment, facilities and personnel capabilities.
He also highlighted Republic Act 12076, or the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, another measure he principally authored and co-sponsored that mandates the establishment of permanent, disaster-resilient evacuation centers in cities and municipalities across the country.
Earlier, Go visited Barangay E. Rodriguez in Quezon City, where his team extended similar assistance to 205 individuals displaced by a separate fire.