AS part of his legislative agenda of continuing the Duterte Legacy of providing a comfortable life for all and supporting President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.’s call to strengthen the country’s adaptability and resilience, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go filed his first ten bills for the 19th Congress at the Philippine Senate on Monday, July 4.

“Layunin ko pong ipagpatuloy ang sinimulan ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na magbigay ng komportableng buhay para sa lahat ng mga Pilipino,” said Go.

“Ito ang serbisyong ipinangako ko sa inyo, serbisyo at pagmamalasakit na ramdam kahit saang dako ng bansa,” he added.

Among his proposed measures include the “Disaster Resilience Bill” which seeks the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience. Go said he is eyeing to have an empowered, highly specialized department with clear unity of command and primarily responsible in ensuring safe, adaptive and disaster-resilient communities.

The department shall concentrate on three key result areas, namely: disaster risk reduction, disaster preparedness and response, and recovery and building forward better.

“Sa pagpapatayo ng departamentong ito, mas magiging mabilis ang pagtugon ng pamahalaan, mas maiibsan ang masamang epekto ng kalamidad para mas mabilis makabangon ang ating mga kababayan pagkatapos ng mga di inaasahang sakuna,” Go said.

Go also filed the “Free Annual Medical Check-Up Bill” which mandates the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to provide annual medical check-up to all Filipinos free of charge as part of its Comprehensive Outpatient Benefits Program. Medical check-up includes screening, physical examination, laboratory tests and consultation.

Likewise, he filed the “Comprehensive Dialysis Benefits Package Bill”, mandating PhilHealth to provide free dialysis to all its members. This will ensure that dialysis services are available to all Filipinos.

Citing the need to elevate the status of the country as a producer of leaders, experts and authorities in the field of medicine, particularly nursing, Go also refiled a bill amending the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002.

The “Advanced Nursing Education Bill” seeks to protect and improve the nursing profession by instituting measures that will result in advanced nursing education.

The senator will also continue to push for the rental housing subsidy program for displaced or informal settler families to ensure that they have access to decent housing and basic social services.

Under the “Rental Housing Subsidy Program Bill”, a housing and social protection program will be developed that will provide disaster victims and Informal Settler Families better and more affordable access to the formal housing market through the provision of rental subsidies provided by the government.

Eligible beneficiaries shall receive a rental subsidy, the amount of which shall be determined by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development taking into consideration, among others, the prevailing rental rates in the concerned locality and the economic standing and potential of the family.

Go is also pushing again for the passage of the “Mandatory Evacuation Center Bill” which provides for the establishment of an evacuation center in all cities, provinces and municipalities to address the vulnerability of the Philippines to the impacts of climate change and other man-made disasters.

This also aims to strengthen the country’s institutional capacity for building the resilience of local communities to adhere and adopt the universal standards of humanitarian assistance.

Go also refiled the “E-Governance Bill”, which mandates the government to establish an integrated, interconnected and interoperable information and resource sharing and communications network spanning the entirety of the national and local government, an internal records management information system, an information database, and digital portals for the delivery of public services.

Emphasizing the role played by barangay officials in the communities, Go likewise refiled his bill seeking to enact the “Magna Carta for Barangays”, which provides barangay officials with benefits and privileges accorded to a regular government employee.

The bill also provides for measures that will help ensure that barangays enjoy genuine and meaningful local autonomy. It also delegates to the Sangguniang Barangay the determination of the proper number of barangay tanods needed in their respective barangays.

Finally, witnessing the need of the country for a more proactive approach to pandemics and disease control, Go refiled his “Center for Disease Control and Prevention Bill” which seeks to create a Center which shall be the principal agency tasked with developing and applying communicable disease control and prevention initiatives; and the “Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines Bill” which seeks to establish a reliable national virology laboratory that shall play a critical role in surveillance, diagnosis and monitoring of viral diseases humans, plants and animals.

The senator also emphasized that while his mandate is to be a legislator, he will continue to go around the country to hear the grievances of those in poor communities to address their immediate concerns. Go further explained that similar to Duterte, he plans to be more hands-on and in-touch with the masses as he pushes for measures providing a comfortable life for all.

“Minsan lang po tayo daraan sa landas na ito. Anuman ang magandang pwedeng gawin natin sa ating kapwa, gawin na natin dahil malamang hindi na tayo muling daraan sa landas na ito,” Go said.

Aside from his top ten measures, Go also filed a measure providing for a magna carta for Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency personnel; a measure providing Employment Assistance for displaced workers; a bill establishing an Emergency Medical Services System; a bill providing free legal Assistance to Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police enlisted personnel; a bill creating the Philippine National Games; “One Town One Product” bill which seeks to promote innovation among micro, small, and medium enterprises; a bill amending the Insurance code; a measure creating a National Housing Development Production and Financing Program; a bill proving benefits and compensation to Barangay Health Workers; and a bill which seeks to establish Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers nationwide.