ON Thursday, February 16, the Office of Senator Christopher “Bong” Go distributed aid to victims of a recent fire incident in Barangay Tuburan Sur, Danao City in Cebu.

The distribution was held at the City Social Welfare Development Office where ten affected residents received grocery packs, vitamins, masks, snacks, and shirts while select individuals were likewise given bicycles, cellular phones, shoes, umbrellas, watches, and balls for basketball and volleyball.

In addition, the Department of Social Welfare and Development provided separate financial assistance to help the victims recover.

“Alam ko pong napakahirap ng panahon ngayon pero tandaan po natin na ang pera po ay kinikita, ang gamit po ay nabibili, pero ang pera na kikitain ay hindi po nabibili ang buhay. A lost life is a lost life forever. Kaya mag-ingat po tayo palagi,” underscored Go.

The lawmaker primarily authored and co-sponsored RA 11589, which mandates the modernization of the Bureau of Fire Protection by acquiring new fire equipment, employing more firefighters, and organizing specialized trainings, among others, to significantly improve the bureau’s firefighting capability.

As head of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, Go also offered additional help to those in need of hospital care. He encouraged Cebuanos to avail of medical assistance from the Malasakit Centers located at the Cebu South Medical Center in Talisay City, Eversley Childs Sanitarium Hospital in Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu District Hospital, Cebu Provincial Hospital in Carcar City, and St. Anthony Mother & Child Hospital and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City.

Go visited VSMMC on February 10 in celebration of the Malasakit Centers program’s fifth year anniversary.

Go principally authored and sponsored the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 which mandates all hospitals managed and administered by the Department of Health, and the Philippine General Hospital in Manila City, to establish their own Malasakit Centers to help particularly poor and indigent patients reduce their medical expenses.

Meanwhile, to help ensure that basic healthcare services are within reach, especially to those residing in far-flung communities, Go also supported the construction of Super Health Centers nationwide.

Super Health Centers offer 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.

In Cebu province, Go supported the establishment of Super Health Centers in the cities of Bogo, Danao, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue; and in the towns of Borbon, Cordova, Moalboal, Samboan, and San Francisco in 2022.

This year, more Super Health Centers will be established in the cities of Carcar, Cebu, Talisay, and Toledo, and in the towns of Carmen, Consolacion, Liloan, Medellin, and San Nicolas. An additional Super Health Center will also be established in Danao City.

Through Go’s efforts, sufficient funds had been allocated under the 2022 Health Facilities Enhancement Program for the construction of some 307 Super Health Centers.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, he was likewise successful in pushing for additional funds under the 2023 budget to support the construction of more SHCs in other parts of the country. There will be 42 SHCs for the whole Central Visayas region.

Go likewise supported the construction of multipurpose buildings in Barili, Cordova, Ginatilan, Pilar, Tabogon and Talisay City; improvement of existing roads in Alcantara, Alcoy, Alegria, Asturias, Balamban, Boljoon, Borbon, Carmen, Madrilejos, Malabuyoc, Minglanilla, Moalboal, Pinamungajan, Sibonga, Sogod, Tabogon, Tabuelan, Carcar City and Naga City; improvement of flood mitigation structures in Catmon and Tuburan; installation of street lights in Asturias, Compostela and Daanbantayan; and acquisition of ambulance units for Madridejos and Naga City.

“Mga kaigsuonan, mga Bisaya, daghang salamat sa inyong tabang sa amoa ni dating presidente Rodrigo Duterte. Kami pud, mga Bisaya man pud mi, utang kabubut-on, dili kalimtan. Ug timan-i ninyo, mga Bisaya, pinalangga mo namo,” he remarked.

(“Sa mga kapatid ko, mga Bisaya, maraming salamat sa inyong tulong sa amin ni dating presidente Rodrigo Duterte. Kami rin, mga Bisaya rin kami, utang na loob, hindi nalilimutan. At tandaan ninyo, mga Bisaya, mahal namin kayo.”)

On February 10, Go also assisted struggling Cebuanos and witnessed the groundbreaking of a Super Health Center in Talisay City.

On February 15, his team likewise delivered aid to families who were affected by separate fire incidents in Lapu-Lapu City and Consolacion town.