PASAY CITY -- Committed to helping more vulnerable sectors bearing the brunt of the pandemic across the country, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go assisted over a hundred struggling residents in Panglao, Bohol on Friday, February 11, as he reassured them of continued government support amid the global health crisis.

Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, Go urged the 114 beneficiaries at the Panglao Municipal Gym to prioritize their health and get inoculated once eligible.

In a video message, he remarked that the government continues to roll out free COVID-19 vaccines to the public to ensure that more Filipinos are protected from the virus.

Go then reiterated his appeal to those qualified not to waste the opportunity to get their shots, saying, “Kapag pasok na ho kayo sa priority list ng pagpapabakuna ay magpabakuna na ho kayo. Magtiwala ho kayo sa bakuna. Huwag ho kayong matakot sa bakuna. Importante po protektado kayo.”

“Mga kababayan ko, alam kong mahirap ang panahon ngayon. Humihingi lang kami ng tulong sa inyo ni Pangulong (Rodrigo) Duterte, kailangan namin ang inyong kooperasyon at disiplina,” he added.

The senator’s staff grouped the beneficiaries into batches and strictly enforced safety and health protocols against COVID-19. They distributed masks and meals, and provided select residents with shoes, computer tablets and bicycles.

Continuing his remarks, Go lauded the government agencies that also extended assistance to the residents.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development provided separate financial support. The Department of Trade and Industry and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, meanwhile, conducted on-site assessments for their respective assistance programs.

In addition, Go offered to help those with medical needs. He also encouraged them to visit the Malasakit Centers at Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran City and Don Emilio Del Valle Memorial Hospital in Ubay.

First established in 2018, the Malasakit Centers are designed to help poor and indigent Filipino patients reduce their medical expenses to the lowest amount possible.

“Kaunting tiis lang po, magtulungan lang tayo. Malalampasan din natin ito bilang nagkakaisang mamamayang Pilipino. Ingat po kayo,” said Go, who is the principal author and sponsor of the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019.

“Maraming salamat po sa kooperasyon at disiplina ng bawat Pilipino. Iyan lang po ang pakiusap namin ni Pangulong Duterte. Tulungan n’yo po kami, magtulungan lang po tayo,” he added.

To improve the public service delivery in the province, Go, who also serves as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, supported the construction of farm-to-market roads in Bien Unido, construction of bridge connecting Talibon and Bien Unido, and the installation of a coin-operated water system in Pitogo.

He was likewise instrumental in the acquisition and installation of solar-powered street lights in Getafe; the construction of a multipurpose building and the concretion of farm-to-market roads in Buenavista; improvement of a public market, and acquisition of a multipurpose vehicle and a dump truck for the local government of Clarin; and the construction of the municipal slaughterhouse in Inabanga.

Other projects he supported are the construction of multipurpose buildings in Dauis, Loay, Alicia, Anda, Balilihan, Batuan, Danao, Dimiao, Duero, Garcia-Hernandez, Guindulman, Loon, Valencia and Tagbilaran City; and the improvement of evacuation centers in Panglao, Anda, Balilihan, Carmen, Corella, Garcia-Hernandez and Valencia.

Go ended his message by thanking all the local officials who continue serving their constituents especially during these challenging times. (OSBG)