Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, in collaboration with local government units, remains committed to aiding disaster victims in Cagayan. His Malasakit Team was dispatched to the province on Friday, November 8, to offer additional support to those affected by the flooding brought by the typhoons Leon and Kristine.
Go’s Malasakit Team distributed food packs to 500 beneficiaries gathered at Barangay Bagacan in Baggao, Cagayan Valley.
To champion proactive disaster preparedness, Go underscored the urgency of establishing permanent evacuation centers throughout the Philippines. He rallied support for enhancing disaster readiness, pushing for Senate Bill No. 2451 or the Ligtas Pinoy Centers bill which he principally authored.
Co-sponsored by Go and primarily sponsored by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, this bill builds upon Go’s filed earlier version, the Mandatory Evacuation Center bill. It aims to create well-equipped, permanent evacuation facilities nationwide. The bill already passed its third and final reading in the Senate, and is now waiting to be signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Moreover, Go filed SBN 192, which seeks to institutionalize a Rental Housing Subsidy Program. This proposed measure aims to develop a housing and social protection program that offers disaster victims better and more affordable access to the formal housing market through government-provided rental subsidies if enacted.
Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, likewise encouraged those with health issues to visit the nearest Malasakit Center located at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) in Tuguegarao City to assist them with their medical-related expenses.
Go principally authored and sponsored Republic Act No. 11463, otherwise known as the Malasakit Centers Act, which mandates the establishment of Malasakit Centers in qualified public hospitals in accordance with the law. Currently, 166 Malasakit Centers are operational nationwide, poised to assist with patients’ medical expenses. The Department of Health reports that the Malasakit Center program has already aided more than 15 million Filipinos.
“Ilapit natin ang serbisyo ng gobyerno sa mga nangangailangan nito lalo na pagdating sa kalusugan ng mga mahihirap nating kababayan. Bilang inyong Mr. Malasakit, patuloy kaming magseserbisyo sa inyo dahil bisyo ko ang magserbisyo at ako ay naniniwala na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo ‘yan sa Panginoon, serbisyo ‘yan kay Allah,” underscored Go who is known as Mr. Malasakit for his compassionate service to Filipinos in need.
