Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, adopted son of CALABARZON, joined the celebration of the Anilag Festival, at the Provincial Capitol Compound in Sta. Cruz, Laguna on Monday, March 13.
Anilag, a shortened term for “Ani ng Laguna”, is a weeklong festival in the province of Laguna which showcases the bountiful harvest, rich traditions and culture of each of the six cities and 24 towns in the province.
“Ako po ay masaya na maimbitahan dito sa Anilag Festival. Malapit po sa puso ko ang mga taga-Laguna being adopted son po ng CALABARZON. Batangueño rin po ang roots ko, lolo at lola ko mga Tesoro. Isang malaking karangalan na maimbitahan po dito,” expressed Go in an ambush interview after the event.
“Happy Anilag Festival po sa mga taga-Laguna. I-enjoy n’yo po ang festival n’yo, ito po yung pagkakataon na magtipun-tipon pero ingat pa rin po. Enjoyin n’yo po ang festival, you deserve it after three long years na paghihirap natin sa kampanya laban sa COVID-19,” he underscored.
During his speech, Go likewise lauded the collective efforts of all local officials of the province, including Congresswoman Ruth Hernandez, Governor Ramil Hernandez, and Vice Governor Karen Agapay, among others who were present, for bringing the people of Laguna together in this historical event and for letting them have a platform where they can creatively exhibit the beauty of their respective communities.
“Ang isang tao raw ay makikilala mo ang kaniyang kalooban sa pamamagitan ng kaniyang desisyon. Noong ako po ay naupo bilang Gobernador, ang una po nating kautusan ay tanggalin ang political colors sa lahat po ng provincial facilities kasama na ang compound ng kapitolyo. (Kaya) ako po ay naglakas ng loob lumapit sa Malacañang sa pamamagitan ni Senator Bong Go… Napakalaki ng naitulong ng ating panauhin para sa lumang building natin. Naging tulay natin, hindi pa siya senador noon, si Senator Bong Go,” Governor Hernandez expressed in his speech.
“Kaya maraming salamat po, Senator, sa inyong tulong sa lalawigan ng Laguna. Kung bibigyan ko ng adjective, isang adjective lang (na mailalarawan si senator), siya po ay ‘sincere’. Si Senator Bong Go kapag sinabi niya, talagang ginagawa niya. Galing sa puso at may malasakit. Maraming salamat,” the governor continued.
As part of his continued support to help the province, Go also witnessed the inauguration and blessing of the newly constructed Provincial Administration Building, for which he helped secure adequate funding from the national government for its construction the previous years.
“Natutuwa po ako sa inyong bagong building. Ito pong gusali na ito ay pagmamay-ari ng Pilipino. Kaya dapat ang makikinabang po dito ay Pilipino, kayo pong mga taga-Laguna. Pakinabangan niyo ito (dahil) inyo po ito,” Go said.
Apart from the said building, Go, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee of Finance, also supported other infrastructure projects in the town, such as the construction of a drainage system at Barangay Calios, road rehabilitation and construction in Brgys. Palasan and Bagumbayan, and the construction of a multipurpose building in Brgys. Labuin and Palasan.
In line with his goal to boost the health sector, Go also supported the construction of Super Health Centers and Malasakit Centers across the province.
Super Health Centers are medium versions of polyclinics and are bigger than rural health units, which offer basic services such as database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray, ultrasound), pharmacy and ambulatory surgical unit. Other available services are eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) service, oncology centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation center and telemedicine, where remote diagnosis and treatment of patients will be done.
Through Go’s efforts and with the help of his colleagues in the Senate, sufficient funds had been allocated under the 2022 Health Facilities Enhancement Program for the construction of some 307 Super Health Centers. He was likewise successful in pushing for additional funds under the 2023 budget to support the construction of more SHCs in other parts of the country.
In Laguna, Super Health Centers will be strategically located in the cities of Biñan, Calamba, Cabuyao, Sta. Rosa, San Pablo, and San Pedro — the last one of which he personally inspected last March 7, and the towns of Alaminos, Mabitac, Calauan, Los Baños, and Sta. Maria.
Meanwhile, Go principally authored and sponsored the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 which aims to give poor and indigent patients convenient access to medical assistance programs offered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Health, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
The Malasakit Centers in the province are located at Laguna Medical Center in Sta. Cruz and San Pablo City General Hospital in San Pablo City.
“Unahin po natin ang mga kababayan nating mahihirap, ang mga walang matakbuhan, ang mga hopeless, mga helpless, yung mga umaasa po sa ating gobyerno. Kaya po kami naririto mga lingkod-bayan para mag-trabaho po para sa ating mga kababayan at asahan n’yo po sa abot ng aking makakaya tutulong po ako sa probinsya po ng Laguna,” he concluded.
After celebrating Anilag Festival, Go spearheaded a relief operation for 500 struggling residents at the DGP Compound in the same town.