Bong Go assists impoverished residents in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro as he continues to promote welfare of the poor

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go's outreach team and the Office of Councilor Jelina Magsuci conducted a relief operation at the City Mall in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro on Tuesday, November 28.

Go's team distributed snacks to 650 beneficiaries, while select recipients received a bicycle, cellular phone, shirts, and balls for basketball and volleyball.

Meanwhile, financial assistance from the national government was also given to qualified residents in coordination with local officials.

During the event, Mayor Malou Morillo greeted the participants and expressed her support for the initiative while lauding Go for his continuous support to the city and to other communities in need.

Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, encouraged those with medical concerns to seek medical assistance from the nearest Malasakit Center in the province located at the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital.

As principal author and sponsor of the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, Go vowed to monitor the continued operations of the Malasakit Center, which according to the Department of Health (DOH), helped around ten million Filipinos as of October 2023. There are 159 Malasakit Centers nationwide.

Malasakit Centers bring together representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, DOH, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. These one-stop shops aim to help impoverished patients reduce their hospital costs to the least possible amount.

Go also shared his vision to bring public health services closer to the Filipinos through the construction of Super Health Centers nationwide. The facility will offer a wide range of services, including database management, outpatient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray and ultrasound), pharmacy, and an ambulatory surgical unit.

Additionally, the Super Health Center provides specialized services such as eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) service, oncology centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation centers, and telemedicine, allowing for remote diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Through the collective efforts of fellow lawmakers, local government units, and DOH, sufficient funds have been allocated for 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and 322 Super Health Centers in 2023. DOH, the lead implementing agency, identifies the strategic areas where the centers will be constructed.

In Oriental Mindoro, Super Health Centers will be constructed in Bansud, Bulalacao, Mansalay, and Calapan City. The last one's groundbreaking was attended by Go last March.

Moreover, the senator is the principal sponsor and one of the authors of Republic Act 11959 or the Regional Specialty Centers Act. The law mandates the establishment of Regional Specialty Centers within existing DOH regional hospitals. Each center will host a different specialty, bringing services such as those available in Metro Manila-based hospitals like the Heart Center, Lung Center, and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, closer to communities.

Go, vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, also supported the construction of farm-to-market roads in Bulalacao, Bansud, Gloria, Pola, and Socorro; construction of multipurpose buildings in Bongabong, and Bulalacao; construction of potable water system in Socorro and Pinamalayan; acquisition of multipurpose vehicles in Pola; and acquisition of medical equipment for the local government of Bongabong.