PASAY CITY -- Senator Christopher “Bong” Go visited the city of Tarlac on Wednesday, June 15, to personally meet with thousands of residents who have been struggling due to the adverse impact of the pandemic.
“Salamat sa mga taga-Tarlac. Mayroon lang akong kaunting mensahe sa inyo. Mula noon sa pag-umpisa pa lang po ng termino ni Pangulong (Rodrigo) Duterte, salamat po sa inyong suporta at ako po'y naging senador noong 2019. Salamat po sa inyong suporta. At ako naman po'y nandidito lang patuloy na magseserbisyo po sa inyo dahil ang bisyo ko po ay magserbisyo po sa ating mga kababayan,” expressed Go in an interview.
To ensure the safety of the beneficiaries, Go’s team divided the 3,000 beneficiaries into two batches. The activities were held at Kaisa Convention Hall, where the senator was present, and at the Tibag Evacuation Center, where Go made a live video call for the beneficiaries.
Go and his team provided meals, grocery packs, vitamins, masks and shirts to the residents. The senator also gave phablets, watches and shoes to select individuals.
To encourage the youth to avoid vices and engage in sports activities instead, the senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Sports, also gave away bicycles and balls for volleyball and basketball.
One of the beneficiaries approached the senator during the event and sought help to put her son into a drug rehabilitation center, saying, “Humihingi po ako ng tulong para ma-rehab ang anak ko… Gusto ko na po matapos ang problema ko. Paiba-iba po ang kaniyang ugali tapos pumapayat na po siya. Nagmamakaawa ako.”
Go then committed to help her son and also appealed to the public to continue supporting President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs and criminality. He also asked the next administration to sustain and further improve the fight against illegal drugs.
“Kaya nakikiusap po kami ni Pangulong Duterte sa inyo, tulungan niyo po kami sa kampanya laban sa iligal na droga, kampanya laban sa kriminalidad at kampanya laban sa korapsyon sa gobyerno. Pinaghirapan niya po itong lahat para po sa kinabukasan ng ating mga anak,” underscored Go.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development provided livelihood assistance as part of the government’s holistic set of interventions for pandemic-affected sectors.
To address the community’s health concerns, the senator also offered additional medical assistance. He encouraged them to seek the services of the Malasakit Center at the Tarlac Provincial Hospital (TPH) located in the city where relevant agencies, including the DSWD, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstake Office, are brought together under one roof to assist particularly poor and indigent patients.
The program, which Go first launched in 2018, has now established 151 centers and has helped more than three million Filipinos nationwide.
“Nandidito lang po ako na handa magserbisyo po sa inyo… Marami na ho tayong Malasakit (Center) sa buong Pilipinas. Ano po ang Malasakit Center? One-stop shop po ‘yan, mayroon hong apat na ahensya sa gobyerno nandidiyan po sa loob ng ospital: PhilHealth, PCSO, DOH, at DSWD. Tutulungan ho kayo hanggang maging zero balance, wala na ho kayong babayaran sa inyong pagpapaospital,” Go, who authored and sponsored the Malasakit Centers Act, explained.
Continuing his message, Go renewed his call to eligible Filipinos to participate in the national vaccination program, saying, “Mayroon tayong 245 million doses of vaccines na dumating sa ating bansa. Kung hindi po kayo bakunado, magpabakuna na po kayo, dahil ang bakuna po ang tanging susi o solusyon para unti-unti tayong makabalik sa ating normal na pamumuhay.”
