PASAY CITY -- On Wednesday, March 16, the Office of Senator Christopher “Bong” Go mounted yet another series of relief efforts for distressed communities in the province of Leyte, this time assisting thousands of struggling residents in Mahaplag town and Baybay City.
The distributions were conducted just a day after the senator’s team provided similar aid to the residents of Calubian and San Isidro.
To safeguard the well-being of the 2,000 beneficiaries at the Mahaplag Municipal Gymnasium and Baybay City Gymnasium, Go’s team enforced the necessary health protocols and grouped the recipients into smaller batches before distributing masks and snacks. They also provided new pairs of shoes and bicycles to select individuals as well as computer tablets to aid in their children’s studies.
“Para sa mga estudyante naman, mag-aral kayo nang mabuti. Mayroon na hong mga face-to-face classes ngayon... Pero importante pa rin sa amin ni Pangulong (Rodrigo) Duterte ang buhay po at kalusugan ng bawat kabataan,” Go remarked in his video message.
In addition, representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development extended financial support to each resident. The Department of Trade and Industry and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, meanwhile, provided qualified individuals with livelihood assistance and scholarship grants, respectively.
As the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Go urged the eligible beneficiaries to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible. He also reminded everyone to continue following the mandated health protocols even after receiving their complete vaccine shots.
The senator also advised the residents in need of medical attention to visit any of the five Malasakit Centers in the province located at New Western Leyte Provincial Hospital in Baybay City; Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) in Tacloban City; Ormoc District Hospital in Ormoc City; and Leyte Provincial Hospital and Governor Benjamin T. Romualdez General Hospital and Schistosomiasis Center (GBTRGHSC), both in Palo.
A brainchild of Go, the Malasakit Centers program aims to provide poor and indigent patients convenient access to medical assistance programs from various government agencies, namely, the DSWD, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go has also supported the rehabilitation and construction of the public market stall building in Mahaplag. For Baybay City, he was instrumental in the rehabilitation of roads, construction of flood control structures and Baybay City Boardwalk, and acquisition of medical equipment for the Western Leyte Provincial Hospital.
Other major initiatives he supported include the construction of multipurpose buildings in Abuyog, Alangalang, Babatngon, Carigara, Dagami, Isabel, Jaro, La Paz, Leyte, Sante Fe and Tolosa; construction of an evacuation center in Abuyog; construction of the Merida Community Hospital; construction of flood control structures in Alangalang, Javier, Tanauan and Tolosa; and acquisition of dump trucks for the local governments of Inopacan, Isabel and Villaba.
To strengthen the resilience of the local health system, Go also sponsored and successfully pushed for the passage of two bills which increased the bed capacity of the EVRMC and converted the Schistosomiasis Control and Research Hospital into the GBTRGHSC in 2021.
“Mga kababayan ko, mag-ingat po tayo. Magdasal po tayo, magtulungan po tayo, magbayanihan po tayo, magmalasakit po tayo sa ating kapwa Pilipino. Nandidito lang po kami ni Pangulong Duterte na handang magserbisyo po sa inyong lahat sa abot ng aming makakaya,” he ended. (OSBG)
