The Office of Senator Bong Go distributed aid to a total of 495 households that were affected by separate fire incidents in Cagayan de Oro City and Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental on Wednesday, 19 April.
In his message, Go reminded the fire victims, “Ang pera po kikitain natin magsipag lang tayo. Ngunit ang perang kikitain ay hindi po nabibili ang buhay. A lost life is a lost life forever. Kaya pangalagaan po natin ang buhay ng bawat isa.”
Go then cited that through Republic Act No. 11589 or the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act, which he primarily authored and co-sponsored, the agency is being equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to boost its efficiency and responsiveness.
Held at the Tagoloan Dome and Sto. Niño covered court in Barangay Lapansan, Cagayan de Oro City, Go’s team led the distribution of grocery packs, vitamins, masks, snacks, and shirts to the victims. Shoes and balls for basketball and volleyball were also provided to select beneficiaries.
As Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, Go offered assistance to those in need of medical care. He informed the public that there are Malasakit Centers in Cagayan de Oro City located in Northern Mindanao Medical Center and JR Borja General Hospital where they may apply for medical assistance.
Signed into law in 2019, the Malasakit Centers Act mandates all Department of Health-run hospitals and Philippine General Hospital in Manila City to establish their own centers to ensure that poor and indigent patients have convenient access to medical assistance programs offered by the DSWD, DOH, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
Currently, there are 157 operational centers that have assisted over seven million Filipinos nationwide, according to the DOH.
Go also aims to bring the government’s public health services closer to Filipinos as he supported the construction of Super Health Centers in Binuangan, Balubal, San Simon, Libertad, Balingasag, Claveria, Initao, Tagoloan, and Gingoog City.
To further improve the province’s public service delivery, Go, as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, supported several infrastructure projects, including flood control projects in Magsaysay, Medina, and Gingoog City; construction of multipurpose buildings in Initao, Magsaysay, and Gingoog City; rehabilitation of local roads in Baliangao, Balingasag, Balingoan, Initao, Lagonglong, Laguindingan, Libertad, Lugait, Magsaysay, Manticao and El Salvador City; and construction of water systems in Balingasag and Jasaan.
He was also instrumental in the funding for the construction of a drainage system and flood control structures along the Iponan River, the acquisition of several ambulance units and fire and dump trucks, and the construction of a three-story multipurpose building in Barangay 33 in Cagayan de Oro City.
“Ako po bilang inyong senador, asahan niyo po na ako ay tutulong sa abot ng aking makakaya. Huwag po kayong magpasalamat sa akin, ako po ang dapat magpasalamat sa inyo dahil binigyan niyo ho ako ng pagkakataon na pagsilbihan po kayong lahat,” he concluded.
On 18 April, Go’s team also aided indigent residents in Binuangan, Misamis Oriental.