BONG GO HELPS UPLIFT LIVES OF DISADVANTAGED RESIDENTS IN GAPAN CITY, NUEVA ECIJA AS HIS TEAM PROVIDES AID TO THE NEEDY

SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go, an adopted son of Nueva Ecija, extended necessary assistance to impoverished residents in Gapan City on Monday, December 4.

Held at GP (Galing sa Puso) gymnasium in Barangay Mangino, Go’s team provided relief items, such as snacks, shirts, masks, and balls for basketball and volleyball to 920 disadvantaged individuals. They also gave away a bicycle, a watch, and pairs of shoes to select recipients.

Meanwhile, the beneficiaries also received financial assistance from the national government through the initiative of GP Partylist Rep. Jose Padiernos.

“Minsan lang po tayo dadaan sa mundong ito. Kung ano pong kabutihan o tulong na pwede nating gawin sa ating kapwa ay gawin na po natin ngayon dahil hindi na po tayo babalik sa mundong ito. Ako po ang inyong Senador Kuya Bong Go, patuloy na magseserbisyo sa inyong lahat. Dahil ako po ay naniniwala na ang serbisyo po sa tao ay serbisyo po ‘yan sa Diyos,” Go expressed in a video message.

“Utusan n’yo lang po ako, parang kapitbahay lang tayo bilang isang adopted son ng inyong probinsya. Ayaw kong ituring nyo ako na ibang tao,” he added.

Apart from the assistance, Go offered to help those with health concerns. Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, highlighted that there are Malasakit Centers located at Eduardo L. Joson Memorial Hospital and Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center (PJGMRMC), both in Cabanatuan City; and in Talavera General Hospital in Talavera town.

Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019. The Act has so far established 159 operational centers and has already helped more than ten million particularly poor and indigent patients, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

“Ang Malasakit Center po ay batas na. Isinulong ko noon, nu’ng naging senador po ako nung 2019. Pinirmahan ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. It’s a one stop shop. Nasa loob na po ng ospital ang apat na ahensya ng gobyerno – PhilHealth, PCSO, DOH, DSWD na handang tumulong po sa ating mga kababayan. Para po ‘yan sa mga poor and indigent patients. Lapitan n’yo lang po ang pinakamalapit na Malasakit Center sa inyong lugar,” Go said.

Meanwhile, Go continues to promote Super Health Centers as part of bringing the government closer to the Filipinos. Super Health Centers were funded in Cabanatuan City, San Leonardo, Aliga, Bongabon, Llanera, Science City of Muñoz, Zaragoza, Sto. Domingo and Rizal — the last two of which he personally inspected in February.

The Super Health Centers are improved versions of polyclinics that offer basic health services, including database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray and 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.

Through the concerted efforts of DOH, local government units, and fellow lawmakers, adequate funding has been allocated in the national budget for the establishment of 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and 322 more in 2023.

Go also highlighted RA 11959, known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act, where he was a principal sponsor and one of the authors in the Senate. This legislation holds significant importance in the healthcare legislative agenda of the Marcos Administration, as outlined in the Philippine Development Plan spanning 2023 to 2028. The law is designed to establish Regional Specialty Centers within existing regional hospitals under the oversight of the DOH.

Go, vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, pushed for necessary funding for several initiatives in the province, including the construction of the Talavera National High School Amphitheater; the rehabilitation of roads in Cabiao, General Tinio, Pantabangan, Zaragoza and Cabanatuan City; the construction of flood mitigation structures in General Tinio, Quezon, San Antonio and Zaragoza; the construction of multipurpose buildings in Gabaldon, Sta. Rosa and Cabanatuan City; the completion of the Dr. PJGMRMC in Cabanatuan City; the reconstruction of the Llanera public market; the rehabilitation of the Baloc public market; and the installation of streetlights in Zaragoza.