Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, along with Congresswoman Ma. Cynthia King-Chan and Mayor Junard "Ahong" Chan, personally spearheaded a relief activity for more than a thousand fire victims in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu on Tuesday, 19 December.
Attending to the needs of 1,575 households impacted by the fire, Go reaffirmed his continued assistance to distressed communities in their rebuilding efforts to help them in their recovery.
"Sa mga nasunugan, 'wag kayong mag-alala. Ang importante buhay tayo, ang importante magtulungan tayo. Ang gamit atin 'yang malalabhan. Ang pera ating kikitain 'yan. Pero ang perang kikitain ay hindi mabibili ang buhay. A lost life is a lost life forever. Ang importante buhay tayo at magpasalamat tayo sa Panginoon na nandito tayo. Pangalagaan natin ang buhay na ibinigay sa atin ng Diyos," Go encouraged.
"Magtulungan lang tayo. Ang Pilipino kilala tayo sa pagtutulungan. Mayroong gobyerno na nandiyan. Si Mayor, isa itong matulungin na mayor… Mabait masyado, talagang matulungin. Masaya ako na silang dalawa ay nandito ngayon nagseserbisyo," he highlighted referring to Lapu-Lapu Mayor Ahong Chan and Congresswoman Cindi Chan.
Held at Barangay Pusok basketball court located under the Marcelo Fernan Bridge, Go and his Malasakit Team provided grocery packs, water containers, meals, shirts, vitamins, and masks to each affected household. He also distributed balls for basketball and volleyball, bicycles, cellular phones, shoes, and a watch to select recipients.
Meanwhile, representatives from the National Housing Authority and the Department of Trade and Industry assessed those eligible for their housing and livelihood assistance, respectively.
Go mentioned that the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is currently undergoing a ten-year modernization program, following the enactment of the BFP Modernization Act of 2021 to ensure that it is better prepared and equipped to respond to fire-related incidents.
Under Republic Act No. 11589, which was primarily authored and co-sponsored by Go in the Senate, the BFP modernization program includes the acquisition of new fire equipment, hiring more firefighters, and provision of specialized training, among others.
"Layunin ng batas na ito na within ten years, ma-modernize ang BFP, karagdagang kagamitan, karagdagang firefighters, at monthly education campaign na turuan ang ating mga kababayan na mag-ingat. Tulad ng huwag hayaang nakasindi ang kandila o kaya kapag nagluluto, o 'yung mga illegal na wire connections. Alam niyo bawat bahay na nasusunog, nadadamay po ang kapitbahay," said Go in an interview.
"Andito ako sa Lapu-Lapu para makatulong sa nasunugan. Dahil 'yun naman ang aking pangako. Basta kaya ng aking katawan at panahon, pupuntahan ko ho kayo. Makatulong sa abot ng aking makakaya, sumuporta sa mga proyekto na makakapagpaunlad ng komunidad, makatulong sa mga pasyente, at makapag iwan ng kaunting ngiti sa panahon ng kanilang pagdadalamhati," he continued.
Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, extended support to residents facing health issues, recommending they seek the services of the Malasakit Center at Lapu-Lapu City Hospital for medical assistance.
Malasakit Centers function as one-stop shops that provide convenient access to medical assistance programs for poor and indigent patients. These programs are offered by various agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.
Go is the principal author and sponsor of the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, and there are currently 159 Malasakit Centers nationwide. According to DOH, these centers have helped more or less ten million Filipinos.
In Cebu City, Malasakit Centers are located at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), St. Anthony Mother and Child Hospital, and Cebu City Medical Center. Meanwhile, there are other Malasakit Centers at Cebu Provincial Hospital in Carcar City, Eversley Childs Sanitarium and General Hospital in Mandaue City, and Cebu South Medical Center in Talisay City.
Furthermore, Go shared he continues to push for the establishment of Super Health Centers nationwide. Through the collective efforts of DOH, LGUs, and fellow lawmakers, a budget was allocated for the construction of some 307 Super Health Centers across the country in 2022 and another 322 in 2023.
DOH, as the lead implementing agency, identifies the strategic locations where such centers shall be established, 19 of which will be established in the province of Cebu.
"Ang Super Health Center po is a medium type of polyclinic. Pwede po diyan ang birthing, panganganak, dental, laboratory, x-ray at makakatulong po ito sa early detection of diseases, primary care, at ang Konsulta program po ng gobyerno. It will help decongest the hospitals and bring basic health services closer to communities," Go said.
The Super Health Centers provide essential health services, including database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory, x-ray, and ultrasound), pharmacy, and ambulatory surgical unit. Other available services are eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) service, oncology centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation centers, and telemedicine.
Go also emphasized the importance of RA 11959, known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act, for which he was the principal sponsor and one of the authors in the Senate. This law is a key component of the healthcare legislative agenda of the Marcos Administration, as detailed in the Philippine Development Plan for 2023 to 2028. It aims to create Regional Specialty Centers within current regional hospitals, overseen by the DOH.
Currently, there are three Regional Specialty Centers inside VSMMC, including cardiovascular care, neonatal care, and trauma care. There will be other specialty centers set to be established inside the hospital, such as renal care and transplant center, lung care, brain and spine care, orthopedic center, physical rehabilitation medicine, infectious disease and tropical medicine, mental health, burn care, toxicology, cancer care, geriatric care, eye care, and dermatology care.
Lastly, as vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go also supported the construction of the Diversion Road from Sudtunggan, Brgy. Basak to Brgy. Gabi, acquisition of multipurpose vehicles, and the construction of phase 4 of the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital Center Building.
Earlier that day, Go visited Nueva Ecija where he assisted indigents in Carranglan, and also attended the blessing of the Brgy. Puncan gymnasium.