PASAY CITY -- A team of Senator Christopher “Bong” Go visited Iligan City, Lanao del Norte on Friday, March 25, and provided aid to over a hundred families whose houses were damaged by recent fire incidents in Barangays Saray and Tubod.
Go’s outreach team distributed snacks, grocery packs, masks, shirts, and vitamins to 121 affected families at the ABC Covered Court in Brgy. Palao. Meanwhile, they also provided shoes and computer tablets to select recipients.
“Mga kababayan ko, sana nasa mabuti kayong kalagayan. Alam ko pong mahirap ang panahon ngayon, lalo na po at nasunugan pa kayo. Ngunit, hindi kayo pababayaan ng gobyernong ito at malalampasan din natin ang kahit anong pagsubok,” Go reassured in his video message.
To further support their communities to build back better, personnel from the Department of Social Welfare and Development likewise distributed financial aid to each affected household.
To help reduce the incidence of fires and prevent them from occurring, Go principally authored and co-sponsored Republic Act No. 11589 or the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act of 2021. The law mandates the BFP to implement a ten-year modernization plan that aims to transform the agency into a world-class facility.
Given this, the bill provides for the acquisition of modern fire equipment, hiring more fire personnel, and provision of specialized trainings, among others. The law likewise directs the agency to conduct fire prevention campaigns and information drives in local government units.
“Hindi lamang po ang pag-modernize ng ating equipment ang makatutulong sa paglaban sa mga sunog. Mahalaga rin dito ang fire safety education. ‘Yung atin dito, kung papaano i-prevent at maturuan ang mga kababayan natin kung paano ba maiiwasan ang mga sunog,” explained Go.
In line with his commitment of keeping everyone safe and healthy amid crises, the senator, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, offered assistance to any resident in need of hospital care. He advised the public to take advantage of the services of the Malasakit Centers located at Gregorio T. Lluch Memorial Hospital in the city or Kapatagan Provincial Hospital in Kapatagan.
The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop where particularly poor and indigent patients can conveniently avail of medical assistance from relevant agencies, including DSWD, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
To end, the senator expressed his gratitude to the local officials of the city for working hand-in-hand and ensuring support is given to the affected families.
“Huwag sana kayong mawalan ng pag-asa dahil nandirito ang gobyerno para tulungan kayong makabangon muli. Lapitan niyo ako kung may iba pa kaming maitutulong. Patuloy kami ni Pangulong (Rodrigo) Duterte na magseserbisyo sa inyo sa abot na aming makakaya,” reassured Go.
To accelerate the development of the city amid the pandemic, Go, being Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, has supported the acquisition of medical equipment of Gregorio T. Lluch Hospital and the construction of a multipurpose building.
Other projects he supported in the province are the construction of farm-to-market roads in Bacolod and Lala; road rehabilitation in Munai; purchase of one ambulance unit in Kapatagan; construction of flood control and drainage structure in Lala; rehabilitation of public markets in Magsaysay; and construction of multi-purpose buildings in Kauswagan, Nunungan, Pantao Ragat, Pantar, Salvador, Tangcal, and Tubod. (OSBG)
