PASAY CITY -- In light of President Rodrigo Duterte's final State of the Nation Address, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go praised the government's efforts in handling the current pandemic, urging Filipinos to take advantage of the opportunity to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their communities against COVID-19.

During the SONA on Monday, July 26, held at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City, Duterte shared some of the efforts that the government has undertaken to manage the country’s pandemic situation, including the establishment of mega quarantine facilities and modular hospitals throughout the country.

“We will ensure that every Filipino is protected and provided with high quality health care,” Duterte said.

Duterte highlighted the government’s improved capabilities to fully respond to the threats of the pandemic. He also touted the passage of Bayanihan 1 and 2 which launched the largest social protection program in Philippine history to respond to the immediate needs of Filipinos amid the crisis.

Go commended the Duterte Administration’s management of the pandemic and remarked that despite the difficult decisions posed by COVID-19, the President was able to strike a good balance between the health and economic interests of Filipinos.

He did say, though, that the President's top priority will always be the protection of life and safety of all Filipinos.

"Alam n’yo naman po binabalanse ng Pangulo ang lahat. Bagama’t hirap na hirap naman po ang lahat ng bansa, hindi lang naman po ang Pilipinas, pero ginagawa niya po ang lahat at inuuna niya po ang buhay at kalusugan ng bawat Pilipino," said Go.

"Parati kong inuulit ‘yan, ang pera po’y kikitain natin, subalit ang buhay po ay hindi nabibili ng pera. Kaya importante po buhay ng bawat Pilipino. A lost life is a lost life forever," he added.

At the onset of the pandemic, Go co-authored and co-sponsored Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1), which addressed the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19 in the country.

Go also supported the passage of the RA No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) which was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on September 11. It sought to facilitate the country's recovery from the pandemic and its economic effects by financing various government programs and interventions, including the improvement of the healthcare system, procurement of COVID-19 vaccines, and delivery of aid to industries affected by the pandemic, among others.

Meanwhile, Go stated that the national vaccination program has been proceeding well, as evidenced by the country's increased vaccination rate and steady supply of COVID-19 vaccines.

"Maganda naman po ang takbo ng ating COVID response sa ngayon. Dumarating na po ang mga bakuna, tuluy-tuloy po ang pagbabakuna," said Go.

"And, in fact, makikita n’yo naman po sa ngayon ang vaccination rate araw-araw," he added.

As of July 26, nearly 31 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in the country, while more than 130 million doses are expected to arrive within the next six months. Meanwhile, more than six million Filipino have completed their doses, as of July 25. More than 17 million doses have been administered as well.

Go went on to tell Filipinos not to be afraid of the vaccines and trust that this will mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 and eventually restore normalcy in the country.

"Kaya pakiusap ko lang, habang dumarating ang mga bakuna ngayon please grab the opportunity. Libre po itong bakuna, libre po ito para sa Pilipino. Magtiwala ho kayo sa bakuna, huwag ho kayong matakot sa bakuna," said Go.

"Ang bakuna po ang solusyon o susi para unti-unti na tayong makabalik sa ating normal na pamumuhay," he explained.

The Senator then cautioned those who had been completely vaccinated not to be overconfident, as they could still contract the virus, particularly now that the Delta variant has emerged.

"Ang pakiusap ko lang po sa Pilipino, bagama’t bakunado na kayo, disiplina pa rin po ang kailangan sa ngayon, dahil delikado po itong Delta variant na nakapasok na po na mayro’n nang local transmission," Go urged.

"Huwag po kayong maging kumpiyansa, ‘yan lang po ang pakiusap namin ni Pangulong Duterte," he reminded. (OSBG)