Bong Go sends aid to fire victims in Muntinlupa City
Solon calls for stronger blaze interventions
ON Fire Prevention Month, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go had his team mount a series of distribution activities for families whose houses were damaged by recent fire incidents in Muntinlupa City.
In his video message, Go lauded the city officials for addressing the needs of the fire-hit families and for committing to support them as they recover.
“Maraming salamat po sa lingkod-bayan na sina Mayor Rozzano Biazon, Vice Mayor Artemio Simundac, at Congressman Jaime Fresnedi, at sa lahat ng mga iba pa pong frontliners. Umaapela po ako sa inyong lahat na huwag niyong pabayaan ang ating mga kababayan,” said Go.
“Alam kong mahirap ang nasunugan pero magtiwala lang po kayo sa gobyerno at magtulungan lang kayo at makakaahon tayong muli. Huwag po kayong mawalan ng pag-asa, ang importante ay buhay kayo. Ang gamit po ay napapalitan, ang pera ay kikitain pero ang pera ay hindi nabibili ang buhay. A lost life is a lost life forever,” he added.
To help ensure better fire prevention efforts, Go primarily authored and co-sponsored Republic Act No. 11589, otherwise known as the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act of 2021.
Under the law, the BFP undergoes a ten-year modernization program to improve its fire-fighting capability by recruiting more firefighters, acquiring new fire equipment, and developing specialized training, among others.
Go’s team held the relief activities at Brgy. Poblacion covered court and Brgy. Buli covered court. The outreach team provided grocery packs, masks, vitamins, snacks, shirts to 96 fire victims. They also gave away cellular phones, shoes, and balls for basketball and volleyball to select beneficiaries.
Furthermore, representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development provided separate financial assistance to each affected family.
Continuing his remarks, Go urged those with health concerns to visit any of the 31 Malasakit Centers across Metro Manila, including one at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City, if they need help with their medical expenses.
Designed to assist poor and indigent Filipinos, the Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop where all relevant agencies are brought together under one roof to ensure that medical assistance programs are within the patients’ reach. The Malasakit Centers program has successfully assisted more than seven million Filipinos with 155 operational centers nationwide. Go is the principal author and sponsor of the Malasakit Centers Act.
Apart from the Malasakit Centers, Go also supported the construction of Super Health Centers across Metro Manila.
Services offered in Super Health Centers include database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray, ultrasound), pharmacy, and ambulatory surgical unit. Other available services are eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) service; oncology centers; physical therapy and rehabilitation center; and telemedicine, where remote diagnosis and treatment of patients will be done.
Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, was instrumental in pushing for adequate funding to ensure that more Super Health Centers are established across the country. Through his initiative and with the support of his fellow lawmakers, some 307 SHCs were funded in 2022 and 322 more in 2023.
As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go has also supported several initiatives in the city, including the construction of multipurpose buildings and acquisition of multipurpose vehicles.
“Bilang inyong senador, asahan niyo pong lagi kong isusulong ang mga proyekto, panukala at adhikain na makakatulong sa bawat Pilipino. Nananawagan po ako na ipagpatuloy natin ang Build Build Build program lalo na kung ito ay para sa ikakaganda at ikakaunlad ng bansa,” Go reiterated.
On the same day, Go personally graced the groundbreaking of the Super Health Center in Pangantucan, Bukidnon and also gave assistance to the town’s indigents.
The senator visited the city of Davao on the same day where he attended the ribbon-cutting of an evacuation center and personally spearheaded a relief operation for flash flood victims.
