PASAY CITY -- The Office of Senator Christopher "Bong" Go provided assistance to 108 struggling residents in San Gabriel and Balaoan, La Union during a series of relief activities it organized in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development on Wednesday, February 16.

The senator’s team divided the residents into groups and provided them with meals and masks at the San Gabriel municipal covered court and Balaoan municipal gymnasium. A selected individual also received a computer tablet to support his children’s blended learning needs.

At the same time, representatives from the DSWD provided livelihood grants under its Sustainable Livelihood Program.

“Sa mga minamahal kong kababayan, sana po'y nasa mabuti kayong kalagayan. Alam ko pong mahirap ang panahon ngayon at nasa gitna pa din tayo ng krisis dulot ng COVID-19. Gayunpaman, patuloy lang tayong magtulungan at malalampasan din natin ang lahat bilang nagkakaisang mamamayang Pilipino,” Go encouraged in a video message.

Go pushed for the introduction of the Small Business Wage Subsidy program to help micro, small, and medium businesses after the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020.

Meanwhile, the distributions were conducted in strict compliance with the mandated health and safety protocols to curb the spread of COVID-19. The senator reminded the beneficiaries to wear the provided masks and continue observing the protocols in order to avoid a spike in cases and the possible reimposition of stricter quarantine measures.

He also urged those eligible to get vaccinated, along with their qualified children as soon as the vaccines for kids aged 5 to 11 years are available in their area.

“Sa ngayon, binabalanse ng gobyerno ang pagbubukas ng ekonomiya. Pero siyempre uunahin natin ang kalusugan at buhay ng bawat Pilipino kaya magpabakuna na kayo,” reiterated Go, who heads the Senate Committee on Health.

“Kapag mayroon na hong bakuna sa harapan ninyo, huwag niyo ng sayangin ang pagkakataon. Ang bakuna ang susi para makabalik tayo sa normal nating pamumuhay,” he noted.

In the meantime, Go offered medical assistance to the sick and elderly. He also advised them to avail of the services of the Malasakit Center at the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC) in San Fernando City.

The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop which aims to provide convenient access to the medical assistance programs offered by the DSWD, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. The program was institutionalized under the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which Go primarily authored and sponsored in the Senate.

“Sa 23 years kong pagsisilbi sa ilalim ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, nakita ko araw-araw ‘yung mga problema ng bansa. Maraming mahihirap ang pumupunta ng Davao noon para humingi ng tulong sa kanilang pampaospital. Ubos na panahon nila, ubos pa pera nila sa pamasahe,” recalled the lawmaker.

“Sabi ko, bakit ba natin pinapahirapan ang mga Pilipino kung pera naman nila ‘yan. Kaya nung naging senador ako, itinulak ko ang Malasakit Centers Act. Target nito ay ‘zero balance’ para wala ng babayaran ang mga poor at indigent,” he explained.

To conclude, Go recognized the local officials for their efforts to support their constituents amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also vowed to continue assisting the long-term recovery efforts of La Union in his capacity as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance. He earlier supported the concreting of a farm-to-market road in San Gabriel, and the acquisition of multipurpose vehicles and upgrading of the Nagsabaran Sur road in Balaoan.

Other major initiatives include the construction of multipurpose centers in Caba and San Fernando City, construction of a slope protection in Bacnotan, acquisition of multipurpose vehicles, and acquisition of an ambulance and a multipurpose vehicle in Bangar.

To improve the delivery of vital health services, Go has also successfully pushed for the bill that became Republic Act No. 11562, which increased the bed capacity of the Rosario District Hospital.

More recently, he sponsored Senate Bill No. 2342 which seeks to increase the bed capacity of the ITRMC from 300 to 800 beds. The measure has been approved on the third and final reading in the Senate, together with 14 other local hospital bills that he also sponsored.

Similar distributions were held the previous day, February 15, for micro-entrepreneurs in Bacnotan and San Juan. (OSBG)