PASAY CITY -- Senator Christopher “Bong” Go commended the government’s efforts to address disparities in healthcare access, particularly in far-flung and underserved areas, as he announced the establishment of the tenth Malasakit Center in Eastern Visayas. The initiative is part of a much wider agenda to improve access to affordable, quality healthcare especially for low-income Filipinos.

“Ang Malasakit Center ay para sa mga mahihirap natin na kababayan, iyung mga helpless, hopeless at walang matakbuhan. Nung unang panahon, marami sa mga pasyente ang kinakailangan pang lumabas ng ospital at mag-ikot sa iba’t ibang opisina para lang humingi ng tulong,” said Go.

“Ngayon, hindi na nila kailangang gawin ‘yan dahil nasa iisang kwarto sa loob ng ospital na mismo ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno na tutulong para sa kanilang pampagamot,” he explained.

Many communities in Eastern Visayas have long struggled to access quality healthcare services due to geographic and socio-economic reasons. In addition to the barriers they face, most government assistance are available in metropolitan areas, such as Tacloban or even Cebu City.

Low-income residents as a result have been deprived of healthcare at some point because they lacked the financial resources to avail of the necessary treatment outside their communities, according to Go who serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Health.

To address these challenges, the Senator, together with concerned agencies, has pushed for the establishment of a Malasakit Center at every major hospital in every province in the region.

The hospitals in Eastern Visayas with Malasakit Centers include the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital in Catarman, Northern Samar; Samar Provincial Hospital in Catbalogan City, Samar; Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital in Borongan City; Biliran Provincial Hospital in Naval, Biliran; Salvacion Oppus Yñiguez Memorial Provincial Hospital in Maasin City, Southern Leyte; Leyte Provincial Hospital and Leyte Provincial Hospital in Palo, Leyte; Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban City; Ormoc District Hospital in Ormoc City; and New Western Leyte Provincial Hospital in Baybay City which opened on Friday, August 20.

Go authored and sponsored the passage of the bill which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program. President Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11463, otherwise known as the ‘Malasakit Centers Act of 2019’ last December 2019.

The said program brings together under one roof the concerned government agencies from which poor and indigent patients may apply for medical assistance, namely the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The law also directs every hospital managed by the DOH, including the Philippine General Hospital, to establish a Malasakit Center. Other public hospitals may also open their own provided they can guarantee the sustainability of its operations in accordance with the set criteria provided in the law.

To date, there are 75 centers in Luzon, 27 in Visayas and 35 in Mindanao. Seventy-two are local government unit-run hospitals while 63 are DOH-retained hospitals. One is operated by the Department of National Defense while another is run by a state university.

“Masaya akong sunod-sunod ang pagbubukas ng mga Malasakit Centers. Tiwala akong magiging malaking tulong ito sa mga kababaayan natin in the long-run, lalung-lalo na sa mga walang matakbuhan at maaasahan kundi ang gobyerno,” continued Go.

“Dito niyo makikita ang puso ni Pangulo Rodrigo Duterte para sa mga mahihirap. Sinimulan namin ang programang ito dahil ayaw naming pinapahirapan pa ang mga Pilipino. Binabalik lang namin ang pera ng taumbayan sa inyo sa pamamagitan ng mas mabilis at maayos na serbisyo.”

President Rodrigo Duterte said in his last State of the Nation Address that “by establishing Malasakit Centers all over the country, we have actually leveled the playing field and provided our less fortunate countrymen the medical care they deserve. We will be establishing more…”

“Sa pagtatag ng Malasakit Center, hindi na po kailangan lumapit at humingi ng tulong sa iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno. Ang gobyerno na ang lumalapit sa tao,” Duterte emphasized.

The Malasakit Centers initiative was conceived by Go after years of working with the poor and indigent in Davao City which gave him a deep understanding of the barriers the poor and marginalized face when trying to access healthcare.

"Nung mayor pa si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, maraming tao mula sa mga karatig na probinsya ang pumupunta ng Davao City para humingi ng tulong sa gobyerno. Lunes, pipila 'yan kay mayor, Martes sa PhilHealth at Miyerkules sa [Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office]. Ubos na oras nila sa biyahe, ubos pa pera nila sa pamasahe," recounted Go.

"Sabi ko, bakit ba pinapahirapan ang Pilipino kung pwede naman ilagay ang mga opisina sa isang kwarto para tapos ang proseso sa isang araw. Kaya nung naging presidente ang Pangulo, kinausap ko ang mga ahensya para gawing mas simple ang proseso ng paghingi ng tulong,” he said.

Its primary aim is to reduce a hospital bill to the lowest possible amount, if not zero billing, by covering surgeries, medicines and various other patient services and expenses through existing medical assistance programs of partner agencies all conveniently available under one roof.

More than two million poor and indigent patients have benefitted from the program so far and Go assured that more Malasakit Centers will be established in various parts of the country soon.

“Nangako ako sa inyo noon pa, kahit saang sulok kayo ng Pilipinas, Aparri hanggang Jolo — may Malasakit Center na sa Jolo at maglalagay rin tayo sa Batanes — iyon po ang ipinangako ko noon sa inyo, kahit saang sulok… pupuntahan ko para magserbisyo,” Go said.

During the recent launch of the newest center in Baybay City, Governor Leopoldo Dominic “Mic” Petilla conveyed his gratitude, saying, “si Senator (Go) rin ay (maituturing na isang) ama ng province ng Leyte na walang katapusan na sumusuporta dito sa atin.”

“Ang 5th district where Baybay is, siya ang isa sa pinakamalayong district mula sa Tacloban. Malaking tulong talaga sa kalagayan ng mga tao dito na maaabot na ng mga malalayong lugar ang serbisyo para sa ating mga mamamayan. So, with that, again, Senator… maraming salamat, hindi kami mauubusan ng pagpapasalamat sayo,” Petilla added. (OSBG)