PASAY CITY -- Senator Christopher “Bong” Go continues to serve and support more vulnerable sectors adversely affected by the pandemic, thus on Friday, July 9, he dispatched his team to Hagonoy, Bulacan, to provide relief and additional aid to 398 ambulant vendors.

"Mga kababayan ko… sana po ay nasa mabuti kayong kalagayan. Alam ko po na mahirap ang panahon ngayon, nasa krisis pa po tayo dulot ng COVID-19. Magtulungan lang po tayo, mga kababayan ko. Sino ba naman magtutulungan, kung hindi tayo lang po mga kapwa nating mga Pilipino," said Go in a video message.

He also urged those eligible to get vaccinated especially economic frontliners and essential workers not to fear the COVID-19 vaccines and get inoculated immediately to ensure that they are protected from the virus while helping the community eventually attain herd immunity.

"Mayroon lang po kaming pakiusap ni Pangulong Duterte. Unti-unti na pong dumarating ang mga bakuna, ‘pag nasa priority list na po kayo, ‘yung mga frontliners, senior citizens, ‘yung persons with comorbidities, economic frontliners, ay magpabakuna na ho kayo," said Go.

"Dapat po ay protektado po kayo at kailangan po namin ng kooperasyon ninyo, disiplina, para makamtan po natin ‘yung population protection hanggang maging herd immunity na po sana ngayong taong ito para naman po sumaya ang ating Pasko," he added.

Go’s staff held the distribution of assistance at the Sta. Monica Elementary and High School where they gave out meals, masks, face shields, and vitamins to beneficiaries. The distribution activity was held in small batches to ensure necessary health and safety protocols were strictly followed.

Selected recipients were also given new pairs of shoes or bicycles that they can use for a more hassle-free commute given the limited transportation options. Furthermore, other beneficiaries received computer tablets that would benefit their children to easily access educational materials and participate better during classes.

"Sobrang hirap po nung nangyari 'yung COVID-19. Nahirapan 'yung mga vendors kasi hindi sila makapagtinda, hindi makalabas," Baimona Manalocon, one of the beneficiaries, recounted.

"Malaking pasasalamat namin kay Senator Bong Go kasi tinulungan kami, lahat kaming mga Muslim, nabigyan ng tulong tsaka 'yung ibang walang wala talaga, naisali," she added.

To further help the ambulant vendors, representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development granted each beneficiary with financial assistance through their program for individuals in crisis situations.

The Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, then, assured the beneficiaries with health concerns that the Bulacan Medical Center in Malolos City or Rogaciano M. Mercado Memorial Hospital in Sta. Maria have Malasakit Centers where they can conveniently avail of medical assistance to help settle their health related expenses.

The center is a one-stop shop where Filipinos, particularly poor and indigent patients, can conveniently access medical assistance from concerned government agencies, such as DSWD, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

There are now 128 Malasakit Centers in the country since the program was initiated by Go in February 2018, with the latest opened on July 10 at the Lianga District Hospital in Lianga, Surigao del Sur. It is now institutionalized through the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 which Go authored and sponsored in the Senate then signed into law by the President in December 2019.

To boost regional development and economic growth, Go also supported the funding of various infrastructure projects in Bulacan. Among those are the construction of Flood Control Structures along Angat River; improvement of Local Roads Including Drainages in Balagtas, Guiguinto, among others; construction of Multipurpose Buildings throughout the province; provision of Medical Equipment; construction of Concrete Drainages; construction of Revetment in Calumpit; rehabilitation of Bulacan State University Activity Center in Malolos City; improvement of Pandi District Hospital in Pandi; concreting of a Farm-to-Market Road in San Ildefonso, and many more.

Go, then, lauded the local government officials for spearheading the recovery and rehabilitation efforts in their communities. Among the officials were Representative Apol Pancho, Governor Daniel Fernando, Vice Governor Willy Sy-Alvarado, Mayor Raulito Manlapaz Sr., Vice Mayor Angel L. Cruz Jr., and many others.

“Tandaan po natin, minsan lang po tayo dadaan sa mundong ito. Kung ano pong kabutihan o tulong na puwede nating gawin sa ating kapwa Pilipino, sa ating kapwa tao, ay gawin na po natin ngayon dahil hindi na po tayo babalik sa mundong ito," said Go.

"Kami po ni Pangulong Duterte ay patuloy hong magseserbisyo sa inyo dahil para sa amin po ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo po ‘yan sa Diyos. Maraming salamat, mahal na mahal po namin kayo," Go ended.

A day before the event, Go vowed to support and help more vulnerable sectors nationwide as he sent his team to give relief to more than a thousand bedridden patients in Guiguinto, Bulacan. (OSBG)