PASAY CITY -- Senator Christopher “Bong” Go assured that the government is constantly improving its COVID-19 response measures in order to ensure the safety of Filipinos. Among others, the enhancement of health facilities continues in order to ensure sufficient capacity and capability of the health system to handle COVID-19 cases.

"Sa ngayon, binabalanse po ng gobyerno ang lahat. Nagdaragdag tayo ng mga modular hospitals, lalo na po sa mga mild and severe cases dahil napupuno ang ospital, napupuno ang ICU," said Go in an interview during the launch of the 131st Malasakit Center in D.O. Plaza Memorial Hospital, Patin-ay, Agusan del Sur on Saturday, July 31.

"Dapat may paglalagyan sa mild cases para 'di mapuno ang mga ospital, para 'di bumagsak ang ating healthcare system," he added.

He also emphasized that while economic interests are always taken into consideration, the utmost consideration now is saving lives especially amid the emergence of the Delta variant which has led to heightened restrictions and Enhanced Community Quarantine in the National Capital Region next week.

The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases has decided to put NCR on heightened GCQ until August 5, 2021, and ECQ from August 6 to August 20.

Aside from the reimposition of ECQ and border controls, Go is also appealing for the reinforcement of contact tracing and genome sequencing, the augmentation of healthcare facilities and hastening of the country’s vaccine rollout.

"Sa vaccine po natin ngayon, mga higit 33 million na ang dumating na mga bakuna sa buong Pilipinas at sa darating na Martes meron pong darating na three million mula sa COVAX Facility," said Go.

"Moderna na po ito na mga bakuna donated by the US government so malaking tulong po ito sa ating vaccination rollout," he added.

As of 30 July 2021, a total of 20,008,331 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered either as first or second dose. Out of these, 11,616,396 eligible individuals were vaccinated with their 1st dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 8,391,935 eligible individuals received their complete doses of the COVID-19 vaccines.

"Ang importante po ay tuluy-tuloy ang pagbabakuna pero huwag maging kumpiyansa, disiplina pa rin ang kailangan sa bawat Pilipino rito, tumataas na naman ang kaso sa ngayon dahil po sa Delta variant. [...] Huwag na nating hintayin pang lumaki ang apoy, kung pwede patayin na ang apoy as early now," Go said.

In light of the impending ECQ in NCR, Go asked the government in an earlier statement to ensure that appropriate funding is available to aid the poorest of the poor whose lives and livelihoods will be most affected by the restrictions.

"Bagama’t aprubado na ito, ang apela ko sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno ay siguraduhing merong sapat na pondo para mabigyan ng ayuda ang mga pinakamahihirap at pinakanangangailangan na kababayan natin sa mga lugar na magiging under ng ECQ," said Go.

Many of these people, he added, will end up struggling as they have families to feed, particularly daily wage workers and the poorest of the poor.

"Tandaan natin na may mga pamilyang pinapakain ang mga kababayan nating pansamantalang mawawalan ng kabuhayan, lalo na ang mga daily wage earners at mga ‘isang kahig, isang tuka’," said Go.

"Kaya dapat handa ang gobyerno na mabigyan sila ng pantawid kahit konti. Habang nilalabanan natin ang COVID-19, dapat tugunan din natin ang gutom at kahirapan na epekto nito," he added.

Go, then, reiterated that the country must continue to balance the economy and the protection of the health of the people amid the surge in COVID-19 cases. However, he emphasized that the lives of Filipinos must be prioritized.

"Para sa akin po, inuuna natin ang kalusugan at buhay ng bawat Pilipino. Ang pera po ay kikitain natin pero ang perang kikitain natin, di po nabibili ang buhay. A lost life is a lost life forever," said Go.

Meanwhile, Go expressed optimism that, having learned so much during the pandemic, the country is now better prepared to meet the new threat posed by the Delta variant.

"Dahil marami na tayong natutunan sa nakaraang taon, tiwala naman ako na mas handa na tayo ngayon upang harapin ang mga bagong hamon ng Delta variant. Protektado na rin ang mga frontliners natin dahil mas maraming bakunado na," he said.

As chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Go also shared some of the measures that he pushed to support the country's healthcare system amid the pandemic. These include improvements of capabilities and increases in bed capacities of select local hospitals throughout the country through legislative measures he sponsored which were recently enacted into law. (OSBG)