PASAY CITY -- Senator Christopher "Bong" Go reaffirmed his commitment to helping communities rebuild their lives and livelihoods amid the pandemic as he continued to encourage the public to participate in the national vaccination program.
Go urged the 1,289 beneficiaries in Lala and Tubod, Lanao del Norte, to get vaccinated as this would provide further protection against COVID-19. They should be afraid of the virus rather than the immunizations, according to Go.
Go’s team carried out a distribution activity on Wednesday, July 28 to provide aid to more than a thousand transport workers, vendors, farmers, and fisherfolk in Tubod and Lala.
“Sa aking mga kababayan, sa mga transport workers, vendors, farmers and fisherfolk, kumusta na kayo? Magtulungan lang tayo. Sino lang ba ang magtutulungan kung ‘di kapwa nating Pilipino,” said Go.
“Kung nasa priority list na kayo, pakiusap lang magpabakuna na kayo. Ang bakuna ang susi o solusyon para unti-unti tayong makabalik sa normal nating pamumuhay gaya noon. Pakiusap lang namin, disiplina at kooperasyon lang,” he added.
Held at Lala Municipal Gym in Lala and People's Park Municipal Compound in Tubod, Go’s staff grouped the essential workers into smaller batches a day to ensure efficient distribution and implemented necessary safety and health protocols as they handed out meals, masks, face shields, and vitamins.
In addition, some beneficiaries received new shoes and bicycles, while others were given computer tablets to aid their children under the blended learning set-up.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development, through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program, provided each economic worker with financial assistance.
The Department of Labor and Employment, and the Department of Trade and Industry evaluated beneficiaries for their respective livelihood programs.
Additionally, the Department of Health gave hygiene kits while the Department of Agriculture handed out plant seeds. Lastly, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority determined individuals for their scholarship program.
“Ako po ay nagpapasalamat kay Senator Bong Go para sa assistance na natanggap ko,” said Junisa Alvia, one of the beneficiaries in Lala.
Similarly, Florencia Ulindang, a resident of Baroy also thanked the Senator for the assistance. She is also one of the recipients of the bicycles given away by the Senator. “Salamat po kay Senator Bong para sa bike na aking natanggap,” she said.
Go advised locals with health concerns to go to Gregorio T. Lluch Memorial Hospital in Iligan City or the Kapatagan Provincial Hospital in Kapatagan, both of which have Malasakit Centers.
As Go continues to push for measures that would improve healthcare services in the country, he primarily authored and sponsored the Republic Act No. 11463 that mandates all hospitals managed and administered by the DOH, plus the Philippine General Hospital, to establish their own Malasakit Centers to assist particularly low-income Filipinos reduce their medical expenses to the lowest amount possible.
“Dalawa na ang Malasakit Center diyan sa inyong lugar, lapitan niyo lang, handa ‘yang tumulong sa inyo; zero balance ang target ng Malasakit Center,” Go said.
