‘PATULOY NA MALASAKIT AT SERBISYO’ — BONG GO REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO COMPASSIONATE PUBLIC SERVICE AT REGION 7 PHILIPPINE COUNCILORS LEAGUE ASSEMBLY

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go showed his support to the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) during the Region 7 4th Quarter Regional Assembly and Seminar, where he emphasized the critical role of local leaders in shaping policies that directly impact the lives of their constituents.

“Sa totoo lang, pareho lang ang trabaho natin. Ang pinagkaiba lang, kayo sa municipal o city level, habang kaming mga senador sa national level. Bilang mga konsehal, kayo ay nasa isang mahalagang posisyon upang magdulot ng positibong pagbabago sa inyong mga komunidad,” Go underscored in a video message.

During the gathering, a total of 337 delegates received tokens from the Senator’s Malasakit Team. The event was held at the Bai Hotel in Mandaue City, Cebu on Wednesday, November 20.

Go then expressed deep appreciation for the support and trust he has received from the Filipinos. “Sa totoo lang, ako po ang dapat magpasalamat sa inyo dahil binigyan n’yo po ako ng pagkakataon na makapag-serbisyo po sa inyo. Maraming, maraming salamat po,” he added.

He particularly thanked the officers of the PCL Region 7, including Chairman Mark Fidencio Aurelia, Vice Chairman Rey Lyndon Lawas, Secretary-General Jan Vincent de la Serna, Treasurer Anna Jay O. Ortega, Auditor Jamel Patrick Royo, and Public Relations Officer Mark Christoffel Banque, among others.

Go also acknowledged the Board of Directors consisting of Councilors Juna Teves, Annabeth Cuizon, Abner Lomongo, Jonathan Villegas Sir., Joseph Pangatungan, Jayson Dawami, and Alona Arcamo.

The gathering also saw the presence of other elected officials, including Valencia, Negros Oriental Mayor Edgar Teves, Jr.; Negros Oriental Liga ng mga Barangay Chair Shaquille T. Teves; Tagbilaran, Bohol Vice Mayor Paz Rozgoni; and Bantayan, Cebu Vice Mayor Antonio Montemar, among others.

“Kayo po ang tunay na bayani ng ating mga bayan, ang haligi ng lokal na pamahalaan na nagsusumikap para sa kapakanan ng inyong mga nasasakupan,” expressed Go.

As a dedicated ally in the Senate, Go reiterated his commitment to supporting local government units and their officials.

Among the legislative initiatives he supported was Republic Act No. 11466, or the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) 5, for which he was one of the authors and co-sponsors in the Senate in 2019. He also filed SBN 2504, or the proposed SSL 6, aimed at providing fair and competitive compensation for government workers.

Meanwhile, as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography and a health reform crusader, Go encouraged those with health concerns to seek the services of the Malasakit Centers in Region 7 located at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. In Bohol, there is Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran City, and Don Emilio del Valle Memorial Hospital in Ubay. Meanwhile, in Cebu, there are Eversley Childs Sanitarium and General Hospital in Mandaue City, Cebu South Medical Center in Talisay City, Lapu-Lapu City District Hospital, Cebu Provincial Hospital in Carcar City, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, St. Anthony Mother and Child Hospital, and Cebu City Medical Center all in Cebu City. Lastly, the Siquijor Provincial Hospital in Siquijor.

Institutionalized in 2019 under RA 11463, which Go principally authored and sponsored, the Malasakit Center serves as a one-stop shop aimed at helping indigent patients minimize their medical expenses to the lowest amount possible by streamlining access to various agencies offering medical assistance programs.

As of now, 166 Malasakit Centers are operational across the country, poised to assist with patients’ medical expenses. The Department of Health reports that the Malasakit Center program has already provided aid to more than 15 million Filipinos.

Furthermore, in coordination with the DOH and with the support of LGUs and fellow lawmakers, Go has advocated for constructing Super Health Centers in strategic locations nationwide to bring primary health services closer to communities.

In Region 7, 52 Super Health Centers are funded as part of more than 700 Super Health Centers funded nationwide.

Furthermore, Go brought attention to RA 11959, also known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act, legislation for which he served as the principal sponsor and one of the authors in the Senate. This law shall create Regional Specialty Centers within existing regional hospitals under the jurisdiction of DOH.

“Ako po’y naniniwala na ang kalusugan ay katumbas po ng buhay ng bawat Pilipino. Kaya ngayon, ipinaglalaban ko talaga ‘yung PhilHealth, pondo ng PhilHealth. Ang dami pa pong reserve fund ng PhilHealth na hindi nagagamit. Tapos ‘yung mga kababayan nating mahihirap, naghihingalo, walang pambayad sa hospital. Kaya hindi ko po ito titigilan dahil ang pera ng PhilHealth ay para sa health!,” he passionately stated.

Go then concluded his speech with a call to action for the councilors, urging them to continue their mission as public servants dedicated to their constituents.

“Ang ating tungkulin bilang mga lingkod bayan ay higit pa sa tungkulin—ito ay isang misyon. Isang misyon na maglingkod ng tapat, magbigay ng tamang serbisyo, at palaging unahin ang kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan,” he said.

“Bilang inyong Mr. Malasakit, patuloy akong magseserbisyo sa inyo dahil bisyo ko ang magserbisyo at ako ay naniniwala na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo ‘yan sa Diyos,” underscored Go.