Senator Christopher “Bong” Go’s outreach team, in coordination with local officials, provided assistance to fire-affected households in Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat on Tuesday, October 24.
Go’s staff extended financial assistance, grocery packs, water containers, shirts, snacks, and balls for basketball and volleyball to six families.
To further help them recover, representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the National Housing Authority (NHA) also conducted necessary assessments for their respective emergency housing and livelihood assistance programs.
“Sa mga nasunugan, huwag ho kayong mag-alala. Sabi ko nga sa inyo noon, ang gamit ay nabibili. Ang pera ay kikitain, subalit ‘yung perang kikitain ay hindi po nabibili ang buhay. A lost life is a lost life forever,” said Go in a video message.
“Pangalagaan at ingatan po natin ang buhay at kalusugan ng bawat isa. Ang importante po magtulungan tayo, sino pa ba ang magtutulungan kung ‘di tayong mga kapwa Pilipino. Kaya po nandirito kami ngayon para tulungan kayong lahat mga kababayan ko,” he added.
Go also cited that the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is currently undergoing a modernization program following the enactment of Republic Act No. 11589, also known as the BFP Modernization Act of 2021, which he primarily authored and co-sponsored.
The Act shall enable the agency to respond faster and more effectively to fire-related incidents in the country by procuring new fire equipment, expanding manpower, and conducting specialized training for firefighters, among others.
Furthermore, it also mandates the BFP to conduct monthly fire prevention campaigns and information drives in partnership with the Department of the Interior and Local Government and local government units (LGUs).
Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, also offered to help those with health issues. The senator encouraged them to visit the Malasakit Center located at Sultan Kudarat Provincial Hospital in Isulan town if they require medical assistance.
Malasakit Centers function as one-stop shops that provide convenient access to medical assistance programs for poor and indigent patients. These programs are offered by various agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
Go is the principal author and sponsor of the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019. At present, there are 159 Malasakit Centers nationwide. According to DOH, these centers have helped more than seven million Filipinos.
The senator, who is also an adopted son of Sultan Kudarat, also pushed for adequate funding to construct Super Health Centers across the province.
In 2022 alone, 307 Super Health Centers were funded nationwide which Go advocated for, in collaboration with DOH, LGUs, and fellow lawmakers. An additional 322 more Super Health Centers were funded for 2023.
Super Health Centers are designed to focus on primary care, consultation, and early detection of diseases, further strengthening the healthcare sector in the country, especially in rural communities. It will also help decongest hospitals, Go added.
Go, vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, has supported a variety of projects in multiple municipalities within the province. These projects include the concreting of roads in Esperanza, Bagumbayan, Isulan, Lambayong, Lebak, Lutayan, and Tacurong City. Additionally, he supported the construction of multipurpose buildings in Columbio and Isulan, as well as the procurement of ambulance units for other towns.
Last October 9, Go conducted on-site inspections of several projects he supported in the province, including the road concreting initiative in Esperanza, which extends from the junction of National Highway-Barangay Saliao to Purok Masagana Farm-to-Market Road. He also attended the groundbreaking of the Super Health Center in Esperanza.
