On Friday, April 21, the Office of Senator Christopher “Bong” Go conducted separate relief activities for indigent communities in La Paz and Talacogon towns in Agusan del Sur. The distributions are part of the senator’s efforts to help address the needs of disadvantaged Filipinos in the country.
During the relief activities, Go’s outreach staff extended aid to a total of 300 underprivileged residents at Talacogon municipal gym and La Paz municipal hall. The assistance provided included shirts, masks, vitamins, and snacks.
Additionally, select beneficiaries were given caps, shoes, cellular phones, as well as balls for basketball and volleyball.
Moreover, the Department of Social Welfare and Development sent a team to provide financial aid to the residents through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.
Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, then urged the beneficiaries to prioritize their well-being and follow basic health protocols. He encouraged those with health concerns to seek assistance from the government through the Malasakit Center located at Democrito O. Plaza Memorial Hospital in Prosperidad.
The Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 was principally authored and sponsored by Go in the Senate. These centers are one-stop shops that streamline access to medical assistance programs offered by different government agencies such as the DSWD, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
“Nung unang panahon, marami sa mga kababayan natin ang kinakailangan pang lumabas ng ospital at pumila sa iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno para humingi ng tulong. Ubos na panahon nila, ubos pa ang pera nila sa pamasahe,” said Go.
”Ngayon, hindi na nila kailangang gawin ‘yan. Kung may billing kayo sa ospital, puntahan niyo lang ang Malasakit Center at tutulungan kayo nito,” he continued.
The senator also highlighted the construction of Super Health Centers in five municipalities in Agusan del Sur. These municipalities include Esperanza, Bayugan, Sibagat, Santa Josefa, and Trento.
More Super Health Centers will be strategically located in particularly far-flung communities, as assessed by DOH, to ensure that Filipinos have more convenient access to basic health services, such as database management, out-patient care, birthing facilities, isolation areas, and diagnostic services such as laboratory tests, x-rays, and ultrasound.
Super Health Centers also offer specialized services, such as eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) services, oncology centers, and physical therapy and rehabilitation centers.
Through the concerted efforts of lawmakers, the Health Facilities Enhancement Program of the DOH has adequate funding for the establishment of 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and 322 more in 2023.
Go, as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, has been actively supporting the province of Agusan del Sur. Among his efforts include securing necessary funds for various infrastructure projects in the province, including the construction or concreting of local roads in Bayugan City, Bunawan, Esperanza, La Paz, San Luis, and Veruela; construction of multipurpose buildings in Bayugan City and San Luis; construction of evacuation centers in Loreto and Talacogon; construction of riverbank protection structures for the Ihawan River in Loreto; improvement of the Adlayan Riverbank in San Francisco; installation of reinforced concrete pipe culvert with pavement widening in Trento; and purchase and installation of solar street lights in Esperanza.
Other major projects he supported are the construction of a new public market and slaughterhouse in Bunawan, development of the Sibagat public park, the acquisition of ambulances for the local governments of La Paz and San Luis, and acquisition of dump trucks for the local governments of San Francisco and San Luis.
On April 18, Go’s team also assisted struggling residents in Santa Josefa and Trento towns.
On April 19 and 20, his office likewise mounted a series of relief activities for underserved communities in Esperanza, Prosperidad, Sibagat, and Bayugan City.