PASAY CITY -- Ahead of the opening of the 19th Congress, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go filed another ten of his priority bills in the Senate to provide more people-centered and service-oriented legislation that will help achieve the new administration's goal of a stronger, more adaptable and resilient nation.
“Ipinangako ko po sa ating mga kababayan na patuloy kong isusulong at ipaglalaban ang mga batas na para sa ikakaginhawa ng buhay ng bawat Pilipino. ‘Yan po ang adhikain ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at ipinagpapatuloy ngayon ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, kaya naman talagang gagawin ko ang lahat ng aking makakaya upang makatulong na marating ang pangarap ng bawat Pilipino,” reaffirmed Go.
“Dapat palagi tayong ‘one step’ ahead. Nang dahil sa pandemya, marami na po tayong nakitang aspeto sa ating sistema na kailangan talagang ayusin. These measures are aimed to promote and protect the welfare of our fellow Filipinos during these difficult times,” he continued.
Among the lawmaker’s filed bills include the institutionalization of a “Rural Employment Assistance Program” which shall provide job opportunities or temporary employment to displaced workers in far-flung areas.
The lawmaker also filed an “Emergency Medical Services System Bill” that mandates the creation of an Emergency Medical Services Systems Council which will be tasked to develop national standards for the provision of emergency medical services in local government units.There shall also be emergency personnel, vehicles and dispatch centers in all LGUs. In addition, the bill mandates the adoption of a nationwide emergency hotline that Filipinos can access free of charge.
“Napakarami talaga sa ating mga kababayan ang naapektuhan ng pandemya kaya naman kahit anuman ang pwede nating gawin para sa ikakaangat ulit ng ating bayan, gawin na po natin. Sino pa po ang magtutulungan kundi tayo lang naman, mga kapwa Pilipino,” Go underscored.
As he acknowledges the sacrifices and hard work of uniformed personnel to protect the country, Go also reintroduced “Free Legal Assistance to AFP and PNP Enlisted Personnel Bill” which will provide free legal assistance to any officer or enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police who may incur charges from an incident related to the performance of their official duty.
He also filed the “Magna Carta of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Officers and Personnel” which aims to provide PDEA employees with decent standard of living by providing them acceptable living and working conditions, appropriate compensation and career opportunities to enable them to effectively carry out their mandate.
Go, who heads the Senate Committee on Sports, likewise pushed for the “Philippine National Games (PNG) Bill”. Not to be confused with Palarong Pambansa, the PNG is a national multi-sport tournament that aims to widen the base talent identification and efficiently constitute the national pool to be trained for international sports competition.
“As Chair of the Senate Committee on Sports, I am one with President Marcos Jr. in highlighting the importance of sports in nation-building. I reiterate my firm commitment to always look after the welfare of our athletes and to push for long-term and grassroots sports development,” Go previously cited.
“These will both help our country become again as one of the sports powerhouses in Asia and also encourage our young people to stay away from illegal drugs and criminality by getting into sports,” he added.
Meanwhile, he also filed a bill institutionalizing the “One Town One Product Program” which seeks to strengthen and boost the capacity of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by assisting them in areas of quality, product development, design, packaging, standards compliance, marketability, production capability, brand development, sustainability, and securing licenses, product registration and other market authorization, among others.
Furthermore, Go filed a bill amending the Insurance Code. Through his proposed measure, doubts on whether the Insurance Code will apply to health maintenance organizations (HMOs) will be clarified. It will make HMOs subject to Insurance Code provisions that are not explicitly provided under Executive Order No. 192. This would allow for stricter supervision over HMOs and thus, provide more protection to the public.
To further help informal settlers and to mitigate poverty, Go also refiled a measure establishing the “National Housing Development Production and Financing Program”. The bill seeks to increase housing production to address the needs of poor Filipino families by forging partnerships among housing stakeholders.
“Marami pa rin sa ating mga kababayan ang wala pa ring sariling matitirhan. Marami pa sa kanila ang natamaan ng iba’t ibang sakuna. Kung nais po natin bigyan ng komportableng buhay ang ating mga kababayan, dapat wala nang mapipilitang maging squatter sa sariling bayan,” noted Go.
The senator likewise filed “Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) Compensation and Incentives Bill” that will efficiently determine the number of BHWs needed in every barangay and provide all BHWs with proper compensation and incentives.
Finally, continuing former president Duterte’s fight against illegal drugs, Go has once again pushed for the creation of “Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center” which shall establish accessible drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation centers nationwide in order to sustain the government’s efforts in achieving a drug-free society.
“Huwag natin sayangin ang naumpisahan ni dating presidente Duterte na kampanya laban sa kriminalidad at kampanya laban sa iligal na droga. Bagama’t tapos na ang kaniyang termino, ipagpapatuloy ko pa rin isusulong ang mga kinakailangan na batas para tuluyan nang masugpo ang iligal na droga sa bansa,” stressed Go.
Finally, Go reiterated his commitment to ensure the better delivery of public services to the Filipino people while helping the Marcos Administration attain what needs to be achieved in order to guarantee the country’s progress and development.
On the same day, Go had also filed his top ten bills which include the establishment of the Department of Disaster Resilience, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines, and Mandatory Evacuation Centers in every LGUs. The top ten proposed measures also include bills providing for Annual Medical Check Up for every Filipino, Comprehensive Dialysis Benefit Package for PhilHealth members, Advanced Nursing Education, Rental Housing Subsidy, E-governance, and Magna Carta for Barangays. (OSBG)
