Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go has expressed hope that the 19th Congress can create policies that will strengthen the healthcare system and address the needs of the Filipino people as the nation moves forward to recovery from the ongoing pandemic.
“These past two years have been challenging for the health sector,” said Go. “The Covid-19 pandemic was an eye-opener for all of us, making us realize just how crucial strengthening the country’s healthcare system is.”
The senator said he is honored to lead the Senate Committee on Health again.
“This time around, our focus is to sustain the gains we’ve achieved in our fight against the pandemic, prevent being caught unaware by yet another health threat, and further strengthen the country’s healthcare system to prevent it from being overburdened again by future public health emergencies,” he said.
During Monday’s committee meeting, Go invited representatives from the Department of Health and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to brief the senators on the Philippine health situation and Universal Health Care Law implementation.
Go said more than 4,000 new Covid-19 cases have been reported consecutively in the past few days.
“We need to ascertain that all necessary steps are being taken to help prevent the virus from further spreading, especially as our students are set to return to full face-to-face classes in a few months,” he said.
Go also discussed the reported issue of vaccine wastage raised by Sen. Risa Hontiveros in her proposed Senate Resolution 92.
“We have done well the past year in acquiring sufficient vaccine supply but we must amplify these efforts further in order to reach areas with low vaccination rates and ensure that vaccines would not go to waste,” he said.
On the threat of monkeypox, Go joined Sen. Robinhood Padilla in filing a proposed Senate Resolution 85, directing the Health and Demography Committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the preparedness of the country to contain and suppress monkeypox which has been declared by the World Health Organization as a public health emergency of international concern.
Go also took up the danger posed by dengue.
“Based on the Department of Health’s data, there were 92,343 dengue cases recorded in the country from 1 January to 23 July 23 — 118 percent higher compared to the cases reported during the same period in 2021,” he reported.
The senator vowed to continue to exercise our oversight functions on the implementation of the Malasakit Centers Act and push for the continuous launching of more Malasakit Centers across the country to provide more poor and indigent patients convenient access to medical assistance and quality public health care.
Go was the author and sponsor of the Malasakit Centers Act.
He said that his efforts are aligned with the priority legislative measures under the Marcos Administration as these coincide with my priority bills, particularly those providing for the creation of the Philippine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines.