BATANG GAPAN, ANAK NG NUEVA ECIJA: BONG GO PARTNERS WITH LOCAL LEADERS TO PROVIDE AID AND SUPPORT TO STRUGGLING SECTORS

SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go visited Gapan City, Nueva Ecija on Monday, September 30 to provide aid and support to indigent residents from various sectors such as heads of families, solo parents, and Persons with Disabilities. These efforts are part of the senator’s commitment to uplift the lives of Filipinos in need, especially during these challenging times.

Go, who is an adopted son of Nueva Ecija, also attended the flag-raising ceremony of the city where he was conferred the distinction by Mayor Emary Joy Pascual as an adopted son of Gapan City for his continued service and unwavering support to its residents.

“Senator Bong Go, naka suporta po ang buong Gapan sa inyo. Ang totoo po niyan, mayroon po kaming surprise sa inyo bilang adopted son ng Gapan, ang City Resolution No. 28 series of 2024, ‘A Resolution Continuously Declaring Christopher Lawrence Tesoro Go as an Adopted son of Gapan City, Nueva Ecija.’ Para po sa kaalaman niyo nung 2020 palang po, meron na po agad kayong resolution as an adopted son. Welcome po bilang isang kapatid namin na batang Gapan!” Mayor Pascual said.

Go then thanked the Gapan City Council for their resolution and assured them that he would continuously serve the Filipino people.

“Bilang isang adopted son ng Gapan (City), Nueva Ecija at batang Gapan, ako po ay nagpapasalamat sa inyo. Patuloy po akong magseserbisyo sa inyo sa abot ng aking makakaya. Huwag po kayong magpasalamat sa akin dahil ako po ang dapat magpasalamat sa inyo dahil binigyan ninyo ako ng pagkakataon na makapag serbisyo sa inyo,” Go expressed.

He then recognized local officials for their untiring service. Among them were Congressman Emerson Pascual, Mayor Pascual, Vice Mayor Inocencio Bautista, Jr., and the city councilors.

“May sasabihin po ako sa inyo at sana po ay maalala ninyo. Kung ano man po ang kabutihan na magagawa natin para sa akin kapwa, gawin na natin ngayon dahil minsan lang tayo dumaan sa mundong ito. Gaya ng paalala ni Tatay Digong sa akin na laging gawin ang tama dahil hinding hindi tayo magkakamali sa paggawa ng tama,” Go added.

Later that day, the Senator gave additional assistance to the indigent residents of the city, highlighting in his speech that he remained focused on addressing the needs of the poor.

“Salamat po sa mga taga Gapan (City), Nueva Ecija sa inyong patuloy na pagsuporta sa akin. Hindi ko po sasayangin ang oras na ibinigay ninyo sa akin. Magta-trabaho po ako para sa Pilipino. Serbisyo (para) dito sa Gapan. Alam n’yo iyan po ang pwede kong i-alay sa inyo, ang aking kasipagan. Kung trabaho ang pag-uusapan, sanay po ako sa trabaho. Umaga, tanghali, hapunan, (kahit) sa panaginip, nagtatrabaho ako,” shared Go.

The relief operation was mounted at the Cong. Emerson Pascual Convention Center in Gapan City where they assisted a total of 1,667 beneficiaries.

Go and his Malasakit Team distributed grocery packs, vitamins, masks, shirts, snacks, fans, and basketballs and volleyballs to everyone while there were select recipients who received a bicycle, a mobile phone, shoes, and a watch.

Meanwhile, Go, in partnership with the local government of Gapan City, gave financial support to the beneficiaries.

Mayor Pascual once again recognized the efforts and initiatives of Go in the city by saying, “Pero alam niyo ba mga batang Gapan, tayo po ay kusang naalala ni Senator Bong Go. Ibig sabihin, kusang pagmamahal. Ibig sabihin, kahit si Senator Bong Go ay umiikot sa buong Pilipinas, tayo ay nasa puso niya…si Senator Bong Go ay ating kapatid na isang batang Gapan.”

Continuing his remarks, as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, Go encouraged residents with medical concerns to visit the Malasakit Centers in the province, including those at Eduardo L. Joson Memorial Hospital and Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center, both in Cabanatuan City; and Talavera General Hospital in Talavera.

An initiative of Go aimed at providing accessible healthcare assistance to all, particularly for poor and indigent patients, the Malasakit Centers are one-stop shops that house all concerned agencies with available medical assistance programs. The Malasakit Centers Act was principally authored and sponsored by Go in the Senate in 2019. Since then, it has been established in 166 public hospitals and has benefitted more or less 12 million particularly poor and indigent Filipinos nationwide.

As part of his unwavering commitment to bolster the province’s development, Go, who also serves as Vice Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, supported several infrastructure initiatives.

In the city of Gapan, the senator supported the construction of flood mitigation structures and the rehabilitation of several roads. He also supported the construction of Batang Gapan Medical Center.

“Ang inyo pong senador kuya Bong Go, kasama ng mga lingkod bayan na narito, patuloy po akong magseserbisyo sa inyong lahat dahil ako po ay naniniwala na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo po ‘yan sa Diyos,” he concluded.