Senator Bong Go provided various forms of assistance to underprivileged residents and displaced workers from Quezon City. He emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to uplift the lives of Filipinos in distress who are still recovering from the adverse effects of the pandemic and other crises.
Go's team, in collaboration with former Congressman Bong Suntay, distributed snacks and shirts to 146 beneficiaries on Thursday, 9 November. The senator's staff also gave away shoes and balls for basketball and volleyball to select recipients.
To further promote the welfare of Filipino workers affected by crises and ensure that those who reside in rural areas lacking job opportunities are taken care of, Go filed Senate Bill No. 420, which seeks to offer temporary employment to eligible members of low-income rural households. Under the proposed legislation, the Rural Employment Assistance Program would be created within the DOLE.
If this bill is enacted into law, REAP's primary objective would be to offer temporary job opportunities to individuals who meet the criteria for economic disadvantage, poverty, displacement, or seasonal employment.
Meanwhile, Go urged the residents to utilize the services of Malasakit Centers for medical assistance they might need. He said there are 11 Malasakit Centers across the city in case they need medical-related assistance for expenses in public hospitals. Initiated by Go in 2018, the Malasakit Centers program was institutionalized under the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which he principally authored and sponsored in the Senate.
Malasakit Centers in Quezon City are located at the Lung Center of the Philippines, Novaliches District Hospital, Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Children's Medical Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, East Avenue Medical Center, Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Philippine Orthopedic Center, National Children's Hospital, Philippine National Police General Hospital, and Quirino Memorial Medical Center.
Go also supported the establishment of Super Health Centers across the country, to bring primary medical services closer to the communities and make them more accessible. In Quezon City alone, funds have been allocated for the construction of Super Health Centers in six different barangays.
Go is also the principal sponsor and one of the authors of Republic Act 11959 or the Regional Specialty Centers Act. The law mandates the establishment of Regional Specialty Centers within existing DOH regional hospitals nationwide.
As vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go's dedication to local development is further evident in his support for various infrastructure projects in Quezon City. He has supported several projects, including the construction of multipurpose buildings, rehabilitation of roads, improvement of drainages, and rehabilitation of flood control structures in several barangays.
He also supported the repair of Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center Road Network, and the acquisition of an ambulance, a dump truck, and four multicabs. Lastly, he also helped secure funding for the vertical expansion of the new emergency building at the Philippine Heart Center and the rehabilitation building at the Philippine Orthopedic Center.