SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go, along with his team, conducted a relief activity aimed at assisting impoverished residents of Bacolod City in Negros Occidental.

During the activity held at the Bacolod City College, Go and his staff handed out food packs, masks, vitamins, and snacks to a total of 1,000 residents.

“Kami po ang dapat magpasalamat sa inyong lahat dahil binigyan n’yo po kami ng pagkakataon na makapagserbisyo po sa inyo… Ngayon, ako naman ang pwede kong maialay sa inyo ay ang aking pagseserbisyo. Sanay po ako sa trabaho… utusan n’yo lang po ako. Magseserbisyo po ako sa Pilipino sa abot ng aking makakaya,” Go told the beneficiaries.

“Nandirito po kami para magpasaya, makabigay ng tulong sa inyong problema sa abot ng aming makakaya, maglatag ng mga programa at proyekto na makakatulong sa mga kababayan natin, at makapag-iwan po ng kaunting ngiti sa panahon ng inyong pagdadalamhati,” he added.

His team also gave select individuals cellphone, shoes, bicycles, and balls for basketball and volleyball while explaining, “Kasi ako po ang Chairman ng Committee on Sports sa Senado… gusto ko pong iengganyo ang mga kabataan to get into sports, stay away from drugs. Huwag nating sayangin ang inumpisahan ni Presidente Duterte na labanan ang iligal na droga.”

Representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development likewise extended financial assistance to help the residents.

In his message, Go emphasized the significance of prioritizing the health of the beneficiaries. He encouraged them to seek medical assistance from the government, particularly at the Malasakit Center at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in the city.

Prior to the relief operation, the senator also conducted a monitoring visit of the Malasakit Center in the hospital to ensure its smooth functioning and effectiveness in serving the people.

Principally authored and sponsored by Go, Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, mandates the establishment of Malasakit Centers in all DOH-run hospitals across the country, including the Philippine General Hospital located in Manila. Other public hospitals can also establish their own Malasakit Centers provided they meet the standard set of criteria and guarantee the sustainability of the center’s operations.

As of writing, 157 Malasakit Centers nationwide have helped more than seven million Filipinos, according to the DOH.

Meanwhile, Go also continues to help bring government medical services closer to the grassroots as he advocated for the establishment of Super Health Centers in various parts of the country.

Through the collective efforts of fellow lawmakers, sufficient funds had been allocated under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program of the DOH for 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and 322 in 2023. DOH, the lead implementing agency, identifies the strategic areas where they will be constructed.

In Negros Occidental, Super Health Centers will be constructed in the cities of Bago, Cadiz, Himamaylan, San Carlos, and Talisay, and in the town of Cauayan which were funded in 2022.

This year, more such centers were funded for the cities of Escalante, Sagay, Silay, Sipalay, and Victorias; and in the towns of Binalbagan, Calatrava, Cauayan, Isabela, Moises Padilla, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, San Enrique, Toboso, and Villadolid. Additional Super Health Centers will also be established in the cities of Cadiz, Talisay, and San Carlos.

“Asahan niyo po na patuloy ang aking suporta at pagseserbisyo sa inyo. Dahil kapag nakikita po namin kayong nakangiti ay masaya na rin po ako. Dahil para sa amin, ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo ‘yan sa Diyos. Maraming salamat rin po. Magtulungan lang po tayo,” he ended.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, the Senator supported several initiatives to boost economic development and improve public service delivery in the province. These include the construction of a revetment, multi-purpose public facilities, and several road maintenance initiatives in Bacolod City; and the construction of a multi-purpose building and concreting of a local road in the town of DON Salvador Benedicto.

Other initiatives that Go pushed for include the construction of multi-purpose buildings in Calatrava and Himamaylan City; road maintenance in Bago City; and construction of a new infectious diseases wing at the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City.

Go has also successfully pushed for the passage of a measure that will establish the Bacolod City General Hospital. The measure was signed into law by former president Rodrigo Duterte in 2021.

On the same day, Go also conducted a monitoring visit of the Malasakit Center situated at the Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital in Roxas City in Capiz. During his visit, he also assisted patients, staff, and frontliners. He also attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the Super Health Center located in Panay and Panitan towns. During the events, Go also distributed aid to indigent families who were in need of assistance.

In Negros Occidental, he also aided patients and frontliners at the CLMMRH during his Malasakit Center monitoring visit. He then attended the Panaad Festival, also in Bacolod city.