BONG GO’S TYPHOON CARINA RELIEF EFFORTS REACH MAGALANG, PAMPANGA

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go continues his efforts to aid those affected by Typhoon Carina, this time extending his support to the residents of Magalang, Pampanga, on Tuesday, July 30.

Previous relief operations under his guidance have also benefitted affected communities in the cities of Manila, Marikina, Pasig, Caloocan, Navotas, Pasay, and Valenzuela, as well as in the provinces of Rizal, Bulacan, and Ilocos Sur.

Go’s Malasakit Team, in collaboration with Congresswoman Anna Bondoc, Magalang Vice Mayor Joseph Guzman, and Mr. Michael Sabado, delivered the aid, which includes food packs and shirts from Go, at the Vice Mayor’s Admin Office for a total of 100 families.

“Bilang inyong Mr. Malasakit, ako ay magseserbisyo sa inyo sa abot ng aking makakaya dahil ang bisyo ko po ay magserbisyo. Huwag kayong mawalan ng pagasa; sa pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan, malalagpasan natin ang anumang pagsubok. Manatili tayong matatag at positibo sa kabila ng mga hamon,” Go urged.

Meanwhile, Go reaffirmed his continued efforts to push for measures towards a more disaster-resilient nation, considering the country’s vulnerability to calamities.

He renewed his push for his filed Senate Bill No. 188 to establish a Department of Disaster Resilience. The proposed measure seeks to create a highly specialized agency that would unify and streamline all disaster preparedness and response responsibilities, which are presently scattered across various departments and offices.

Go also co-sponsored and is one of the authors of SBN 2451, also known as the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act. This bill aims to establish fully functional mandatory evacuation centers in strategic locations nationwide.

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, he also offered to assist those with health concerns through the Malasakit Centers program. In Pampanga, Malasakit Centers are located at the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital and the Overseas Filipino Workers Hospital and Diagnostic Center, both in San Fernando City; and at the Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center in Angeles City.

Principally authored and sponsored by Go, Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, brings together concerned agencies to help reduce hospital expenses for patients to the lowest possible amount. The Malasakit Centers have proved to be a success, with 166 operational centers nationwide having already assisted more or less ten million Filipinos nationwide, as reported by the Department of Health.