Kuya Bong aids Mandaluyong fire victims

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go visited Barangay Addition Hills on Wednesday to deliver emergency assistance to 198 families displaced by a fire earlier this week.

Go personally inspected the site of the 19 January blaze, known as “ground zero,” to assess the damage in the densely populated neighborhood.

Village Captain Carlito Cernal noted that the close proximity of houses in the area hindered initial firefighting efforts, though crews eventually accessed the site through a nearby court.

“Do not lose hope,” Go told residents during the relief distribution at the local evacuation center. “We can buy new things and earn money again through hard work, but money cannot buy a life.”

The senator used the visit to highlight his legislative focus on disaster preparedness. Go is the principal author of Republic Act 12076, the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, which mandates permanent, fully equipped evacuation centers in every city and municipality.

He also authored the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act of 2021 to improve firefighting equipment and training.