PASAY CITY -- Senator Christopher “Bong” Go stays committed to bring necessary aid to disadvantaged communities that have been adversely affected by the ongoing pandemic and other crisis situations.

“Sabi nila alalay ako ng Pangulo, hindi lang po ako alalay ng Pangulo (pero) alalay po ng kapwa Pilipino po. Handa po akong umalalay para po sa inyong lahat. Iisa lang naman layunin namin ni Pangulong Duterte — magserbisyo po sa inyong lahat at maiahon lang po kayo sa problema natin sa COVID-19,” he reassured.

On Friday, December 10, the senator, along with his outreach team and other officials, personally expressed his concern to the 195 fire victims whose houses were blazed by a recent fire incident in San Andres, Manila City.

“Mayroon din isang nasunugan sa Bacoor ngayon pupuntahan rin po ng aking opisina. Basta kaya lang ng aking katawan kahit saang sulok kayo ng Pilipinas, mula Apari hanggang Jolo, pupuntahan ko po kayo basta kaya lang po ng aking katawan,” Go said in his speech.

“Hindi ko po matiis na nakaupo lang sa opisina na nagpapalamig lang po doon at mga kababayan natin dito naghihirap po. Sa totoo lang po yun lang po dahil ang bisyo ko ay magserbisyo po sa inyong lahat, mga kababayan ko,” he continued.

Following the passage of the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act which Go authored and co-sponsored in the Senate, the senator said that he is optimistic that the bureau will now be more equipped and ready in addressing and preventing fire-related incidents.

He reaffirmed that the BFP will be more responsive and efficient in handling disaster and emergency response. Under Republic Act No. 11589, also known as the BFP Modernization Act of 2021, the agency is mandated to develop a ten-year modernization fire program that includes the acquisition of modern fire equipment, recruitment of more firefighters, and provision of specialized trainings, among others.

“Saksi ako sa hinagpis na nararamdaman ng mga biktima ng sunog. Kada buwan, ilang komunidad ang ating binibisita upang makapagbigay ng tulong. Obligasyon ng gobyerno na maging handa sa oras ng sakuna kaya nag-file ako ng batas para mabigyan ng karagdagang kagamitan at personnel ang ating Bureau of Fire Protection,” Go previously said.

“Dapat paghandaan natin ang anumang krisis o sakuna. Kaya naman nagpapasalamat ako kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at sa aking kapwa kong mambabatas sa mabilisang pagpasa ng batas na ito,” he continued.

Conducted at Amadome covered court, Go’s team strictly implemented necessary safety and health protocols to ensure the public’s safety while they handed out financial assistance, grocery packs, meals, masks, and vitamins to the fire victims. In addition, the senator gave away new pairs of shoes, bicycles, and computer tablets to select recipients.

“Amin pong obligasyon 'yan na tumulong sa mga kababayan natin. Maraming salamat din po dahil sabi ko noon pa, hindi lang po sa Maynila kahit saang lugar po… obligasyon po namin na tumulong sa abot ng aming makakaya ay tutulong po kami,” he assured.

“Basta sa pagseserbisyo at pagtutulong sa ating kapwa Pilipino, wala pong pulitika dapat diyan. Walang pulitika, walang away basta sa pagtutulong. Huwag nating idamay ang mga kababayan natin. Dahil itong mga kababayan natin nangangailangan po ito ng tulong. Magkasama po tayo sa pagtulong sa mga kababayan natin,” he added.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development also provided financial support to further help them recover from the damages caused by the fire. The National Housing Authority, in turn, assessed the needs of the affected households as it provided them further housing assistance.

The Department of Agriculture provided fresh vegetables while the Department of Health distributed supplies of assorted medicines.

Lastly, the Department of Trade and Industry evaluated qualified individuals who can take part in their Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa program.

Go then took the opportunity to encourage eligible residents to get their free doses of vaccines against COVID-19 as this would not only protect themselves but would also significantly help the country attain population protection leading to herd immunity soon.

“Magpabakuna na ho kayo. Ang bakuna ang tanging susi at solusyon sa ngayon para unti-unti na tayong makabalik sa normal na pamumuhay. Sumunod lang po tayo sa paalala ng ating gobyerno,” Go reaffirmed.

As Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, the senator likewise reached out to the beneficiaries to take advantage of the services available in any of the five Malasakit Centers in the city.

Primarily pushed by Go, the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 aims to provide poor and indigent patients with convenient access to medical assistance programs by concerned agencies, such as DSWD, DOH, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, that would assist them to lower their medical expenses.

Malasakit Centers in the city are located at Philippine General Hospital, Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, San Lazaro Hospital, and Tondo Medical Center.

“Maraming salamat sa tulong na binigay niyo samin. Nung time na na-hospital yung anak ko, wala po kaming binayaran ni piso dahil sa Malasakit Center,” Mabelle Pamuti, one of the fire victims, shared in an interview.

The senator then thanked the local officials of Manila City for helping their community fully recover from the challenges brought by crisis situations.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go supported major initiatives in the city of Manila, including the provision of medical supplies and equipment, ambulance units, and rescue patrol service vehicles, among others.

“Huwag niyo po akong tawaging senador, tawagin niyo lang po akong kuya Bong Go na kapatid niyo na handang umalalay po sa inyo. Andito lang po ako sa tabi ninyo,” Go said. (OSBG)