BONG GO HELPS FIRE VICTIMS IN DAVAO CITY, REITERATES IMPORTANCE OF BETTER FIRE PREVENTION AWARENESS IN COMMUNITIES

IN observance of the Fire Prevention Month, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go emphasized the importance of safeguarding homes against potential fire risks. He urged the public to adhere to safety precautions to ensure their well-being and protection from danger.

On Friday, March 1, in partnership with several government agencies, Go’s Malasakit Team held a relief activity at Kapitan Tomas Elementary School for fire victims from Barangay 34-D, Poblacion District, Davao City.

The senator’s Malasakit Team distributed snacks, grocery packs, water containers, shirts, vitamins, and balls for basketball and volleyball to 78 fire victims. They also gave away shoes, a mobile phone, and a watch to select recipients.

At the same time, the National Housing Authority conducted an assessment to identify beneficiaries who may be provided with emergency housing assistance. The Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Labor and Employment also evaluated potential beneficiaries who may qualify for their respective livelihood assistance programs.

Lastly, staff from the Department of Social Welfare and Development assessed the needs of the fire victims for provision of further financial assistance.

The senator expressed his sympathy to the affected individuals in his video address. As the primary author and co-sponsor of Republic Act No. 11589 or the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act of 2021, he reassured them of the government’s dedication to providing the necessary assistance for a swift recovery.

“Mga kababayan ko, mag-ingat tayo dahil delikado pa ang panahon at malapit na ang tag-init. Mahirap masunugan. Gayunpaman, tandaan natin na ang gamit naman ay nabibili at ang pera po’y kikitain natin. Pero ang perang kikitain natin ay hindi po mabibili ang buhay,” said Go.

“Huwag sana kayong mawalan ng pag-asa dahil nandirito ang gobyerno para tulungan kayong makabangon muli. Lapitan niyo lang ako kung may iba pa kaming maitutulong. Patuloy kaming magseserbisyo sa inyo sa abot ng aming makakaya,” he continued.

The modernization program will include acquiring new fire equipment, hiring more personnel, and providing highly specialized training programs.

The BFP must also conduct monthly fire prevention campaigns and information drives in every local government unit, especially in informal settlements, economically depressed areas, and far-flung communities.

To safeguard the health and welfare of the public, Senator Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, made medical support available to individuals facing health issues. He advised the public that medical assistance programs could be accessed from the Malasakit Centers located at Southern Philippines Medical Center in the city.

According to the Department of Health, institutionalized under the Republic Act No. 11463, which Go principally sponsored and authored, the 159 Malasakit Centers have already helped around ten million Filipinos nationwide.

He also advocated constructing 11 Super Health Centers in the city as part of the government’s initiative to decongest hospitals and make primary healthcare accessible to underprivileged Filipinos.

The senator also highlighted that there are specialty centers inside SPMC, including cardiovascular care, lung care, neonatal care, trauma care, toxicology, cancer care, eye care, and dermatology care. It will also soon provide a renal care and transplant center, brain and spine care, orthopedic center, physical rehabilitation medicine, mental health, burn care, infectious disease and tropical medicine, and geriatric care.

Go is the principal sponsor and one of the authors of RA 11959, or the Regional Specialty Centers Act. The law mandates the establishment of Regional Specialty Centers within existing DOH regional hospitals.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go supported several initiatives in the city that aim to recover the community’s economy. Among these projects are constructing various multipurpose buildings and local roads, rehabilitating water systems, drainage systems, and flood control structures in different barangays throughout the city, constructing a 300-bed capacity infectious diseases building for SPMC, and acquiring ambulances.

On the previous day, Go was personally in Davao City, where he inspected several projects he advocated for and attended the Philippine Association of Water Districts’s (PAWD) National Convention.