Contained in PH Dev’t Plan 2023-2028 

SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go commended and expressed his support for the notable legislative agenda of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. contained in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, many of which are also Go’s key proposed legislative measures pending in the 19th Congress.

“The PDP 2023-2028 will provide us with precise guidance on how we will manage our country as we work to recover from the impacts of the pandemic,” said Go.

“I also believe that the proposed measures it contains will have a profound and positive impact on the lives of all Filipinos,” he added.

PDP 2023-2028, which aims to “bring back the country to a high-growth trajectory” and to “enable economic and social transformation for a prosperous, inclusive and resilient society”, was approved and adopted by Marcos through Executive Order No. 14 signed on January 27.

The 2023-2028 plan is the second medium-term plan based on AmBisyon Natin 2040, which provides a roadmap for development planning in the Philippines from 2016 to 2040 and aims to improve the quality of life for all Filipinos. The AmBisyon Natin 2040 was launched during the Duterte administration.

Among the health-related legislative agenda contained in the plan is the establishment of a Medical Reserve Corps. The MRC will include “licensed physicians, medical degree holders, students who have completed four years of a medical course, registered nurses, and licensed allied health professionals who may be called upon in addressing the medical needs of the public.”

Also included is the establishment of specialty centers that will provide and improve access to specialized healthcare services. Marcos likewise stressed the need for the creation of the Philippine Center for Disease Control and Prevention; and the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines.

Among the bills already filed by Senator Go include Senate Bill No. 1180, also known as the “Medical Reserve Corps Act of 2022,” SBN 195 and 196, which would establish the CDC and VIP, respectively.

Previously, Go has also expressed support for the Marcos Administration’s priority legislative move to create more specialty centers outside of Metro Manila, bemoaning the fact that Filipinos from other regions still have to go to the National Capital Region to obtain their services.

“Noong panahon po ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, napakaraming lumalapit sa amin hindi lang para magpagamot, humihingi po ng pamasahe para bumiyahe kasi nandito po ‘yung mga specialty hospitals na kayang gumamot sa kanila,” he cited.

“Ilapit na natin sa mga nangangailangan ang serbisyong pangmedikal na kailangan nila mula sa mga specialty centers,” he urged.

Meanwhile, PDP 2023-2028 also prioritizes the enactment of a measure on rental subsidy and access to public rental housing to “improve access to and affordability of housing especially for the informal settler families, homeless, and underprivileged.”

Go also filed SBN 192, providing for the Rental Housing Subsidy Program, as part of his efforts to ensure that the homeless have access to decent yet affordable shelters; and SBN 194 which seeks to institutionalize the transition of the government to e-governance in the digital age as he cited lessons the country has learned from the pandemic.

The Marcos Administration seeks to foster good governance and increased bureaucratic efficiency through e-governance as part of the PDP 2023-2028.

Go then said that he believes that the President’s legislative agenda is “the right course of action for our country”.

“We have a unique opportunity to shape the future and make a positive impact on the lives of all Filipinos. Let us work together to pass these measures and build a better future for our country,” he concluded.