PASAY CITY -- Senator Christopher “Bong” Go continues to push for a more service-oriented legislative agenda in support of the Marcos Administration as he filed more priority measures dedicated to address the needs of his fellow Filipinos.
At the start of the 19th Congress, Go had earlier filed 20 of his priority bills. He then recently filed 12 more bills as part of his commitment to support the current administration and continue the Duterte Legacy of providing a safer and more comfortable life for every Filipino.
“Nagsumite ako sa Senado ng panibagong isang dosenang panukalang batas na kung makapasa at maisabatas ay malaki ang maitutulong sa inyo, mga kababayan kong Pilipino,” Go cited.
“Pinagbatayan ko sa pag-akda sa mga nasabing panukala ang pangangailangan sa mga ito, batay na rin sa mga aspeto na aking mga personal na nasaksihan, naobserbahan at bahagi ng mga konsultasyon at pakikipag-usap ko sa iba’t ibang sektor,” he explained.
The lawmaker reintroduced Senate Bill No. 1180 which establishes a Medical Reserve Corps composed of medical and health-related professionals. The Corps will be tasked to assist the government in meeting healthcare needs during public health emergencies.
“Sa ilalim nito, papayagan ang mga doktor, nurse, medical technologist at mga nakapagtapos sa mga kursong may kinalaman sa medisina na tumulong sa pamahalaan kapag may national emergencies. Tugma ito sa isa sa mga prayoridad na panukalang batas ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na binanggit niya sa kanyang unang State of the Nation Address. Bahagi rin ito ng aking adhikain na mapalakas pa ang ating healthcare system,” Go explained.
He likewise refiled SBN 1181, otherwise known as the Philippine Building Act of 2022, which aims to protect the public welfare and to mitigate the impact of disasters by setting standards and benchmarks that all buildings and structures must meet to ensure that a building's structural stability and integrity are designed to withstand disasters.
“Importante ito dahil madalas dalawin ng lindol at iba pang kalamidad ang ating bansa, maliban sa halos apat na dekada na ang nakaraan mula naging batas ang kasalukuyang National Building Code of the Philippines,” Go cited.
To further ensure that the country’s enterprise sector gets the assistance that they need to sustain their businesses, Go filed a measure proposing to pass a program called Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises (GUIDE). The said bill aims to provide business owners convenient ways to loan from the government.
Acknowledging their notable contributions to the economy, Senator Go also filed SBN 1184 and 1191 which shall further protect the welfare and interest of the country’s delivery service riders and seafarers, respectively.
“At dahil marami ngayon ang pinapasok ang pagiging delivery rider, isinumite ko ang SBN 1184 o ang Delivery Riders’ Protection Act. Sa pamamagitan nito, protektado na sila laban sa mga mapang-abusong consumers lalo na ang mga umo-order ng pagkain, grocery at gamot,” he said.
“Kailangan din ng ating mga marino ng proteksyon kaya ang SBN 1191 o ang Magna Carta of Seafarers ang mangangalaga naman sa kanila para matiyak ang kanilang kapakanan at mga karapatan habang nagtatrabaho pa sila sa mga malalayong lugar, at maging kapag tapos na ang kanilang employment,” he added.
Meanwhile, to protect media and entertainment workers, Go also introduced SB 1183 or the proposed “Media and Entertainment Workers Welfare Act”, noting that “the media plays a pivotal role in nation-building, and in closing the gap between the government and its people.”
In order to improve the immigration services of the country, Go also reintroduced in the 19th Congress his Senate Bill No. 1185 or the proposed Bureau of Immigration Modernization Act of 2022.
“Matagal ko nang ipinaglalaban na i-modernize ang mga proseso sa gobyerno upang mas mapabilis ang serbisyo sa tao at matanggal ang korapsyon sa sistema,” he said.
The lawmaker also stressed the need for a stronger judicial system. In this regard, he proposed to add more divisions in the Court of Appeals and the National Labor Relations Commissions to prevent delays and efficiently resolve cases and labor disputes.
In line with his advocacy to protect the welfare of the Filipino youth, he proposed SBN 188 which shall amend the Special Protection of Children Against Abuses Law.
“Kabilang ang mga kabataang Pilipino sa dapat protektado ng ating mga batas, at dahil dito ay nariyan ang aking SBN 1188 o ang Amendments to Special Protection of Children Against Abuses. Layunin nito na amyendahan ang Section 5 ng Republic Act No. 7610 para mas protektado pa ang ating mga kabataan sa pang-aabuso, pagsasamantala at diskriminasyon,” he said.
Go also proposed SBN 1189, otherwise known as the Mandatory Environmental Insurance Coverage Act, which shall establish the National Framework for Mandatory Environmental Insurance Coverage.
“Lahat ng may-ari at operator ng environmentally critical projects (ECPs) ay dapat magbigay ng insurance para may proteksyon tayo kung sakaling magkaroon ng masamang epekto sa kapaligiran, kalikasan at mga tao ang kanilang proyekto,” explained Go.
Lastly, to address the needs of and further improve the education sector, Go pushed to expand the Special Education Fund (SEF) which seeks to amend the Local Government Code of 1991, saying, “Dagdag na pondo ito para sa mga eskuwelahan na magiging mas malawak ang pwedeng paggamitan upang masuportahan ang kanilang operasyon at mga programa na makatutulong para mas mahasa ang kaisipan ng mga estudyanteng Pilipino.”
Senator Go then reaffirmed his commitment to continue supporting and developing more legislative measures that will uphold the rights and promote the welfare of Filipinos.
“Umaasa aka na maisasabatas ang mga panukalang ito na napapanahon at kailangang-kailangan ng ating bansa at mga kababayan. Umasa kayo na gagawin ko ang lahat ng aking makakaya para ipaglaban sa Senado ang katuparan ng pagsasabatas ng mga ito, dahil pakikinabangan ang mga ito maging ng susunod na henerasyon ng mga Pilipino,” he concluded. (OSBG)
