Go now synonymous with ‘Malasakit’

Little by little, the name of former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go is becoming synonymous with malasakit, a Tagalog word meaning concern.

At the launching of the 23rd Malasakit Center in Tarlac, the aspiring senator reiterated his intention of serving the Filipino people via improvements on the delivery of healthcare services in the country.

“Gusto kong magserbisyo sa Pilipino (at) uunahin ko ‘yung (to) improve the medical services throughout the country. (I want to serve the Filipino people the best way I can and one way is to improve the health care services),” Go said during the launch at the Tarlac Provincial Hospital in Barangay San Vicente, Tarlac City. Go was invited as guest along with Presidential Adviser to the Visayas Michael Diño.

The Malasakit Center in Tarlac City is the 9th one in operation in Luzon.

Go, a long-time ally of President Duterte and aspiring senator, has always wanted to make improvements in how quality healthcare can be more accessible to indigent patients. He noted how public hospitals are usually overcrowded, with patients being made to stay outside hospital wards due to the lack of proper hospital beds to accommodate them.

“Tingnan niyo po ‘yung hospital sa taas: akyatin niyo po (at makikita) niyong nakahilera sa labas ng mga hospital wards ‘yung mga pasyente. Papaano gagaling ‘yung mga pasyente kung ganoon lang po (‘yung) katayuan nila? Tulungan po natin (Take a look upstairs, You’ll see the woeful conditions of patients. How will they get well? It’s time for us to help them),” Go told interviewers.

Go noted that indigent patients usually have issues with regard to attending to their hospital bills and a big help in dealing with this is via the Malasakit Center.

A program of the Duterte administration, the Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop where satellite offices of DOH, DSWD, PAGCOR, PCSO, PhilHealth and other relevant government agencies are housed together in one location to ease the process for patients applying for speedy medical and financial assistance.

He noted how public hospitals are usually overcrowded, with patients being made to stay outside hospital wards due to the lack of proper hospital beds.

“Bong” Go, who was vital in setting up the Malasakit Center program when he was serving as the top aide of President Duterte, said he wants to push a law that would establish Malasakit Centers in more provincial and urban areas of the country, making the center accessible to more Filipinos.

At another event also in Tarlac, Go pushed for the welfare of abandoned children when he vowed to sustain the operation of the Amor Village initiative, a 24-hour residential care, rehabilitation, recovery and development facility for children who were abused, abandoned and neglected.

Amor, which stands for Accelerating Minors Opportunity for Recovery, is supervised by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Its founder, former Tarlac Rep. Monica Prieto–Teodoro and now Special Envoy to the UNICEF (United Nation’s Children’s Emergency Fund), invited Go as the guest of honor of the gathering. She and her husband, former Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, local officials and residents of AMOR Village welcomed Go to the event.

“Pagdating ng panahon, pangako ko po tutulungan ko itong AMOR Village (When the time comes, I intend to help this institution),” Go said, noting that it has a counterpart institution in Davao City where he started his career as top aide of then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

Go pointed out that one of his priorities is the protection and welfare of the youth particularly abandoned children. He mentioned that one of the effective ways of keeping them away from illegal drugs and criminality is to provide them a community conducive to their growth and nurtured by responsible guardians.

Aside from addressing healthcare concerns of the country, Go also reaffirmed his support of the Duterte administration’s fight against illegal drugs, crime and corruption.

Go also has a legislative agenda which includes programs for agriculture, housing, improved health service delivery, education, long-term sports development, localized peace talks, anti-drug and crime drive, anti-corruption drive, barangay welfare, creation of a Department of OFWs, as well as senior citizen concerns.