To help in local development, Bong Go helps Quezon, Nueva Ecija with newly inaugurated legislative building

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, adopted son of Nueva Ecija, visited and attended the inauguration of the new legislative building in Quezon, Nueva Ecija, on Thursday, February 1. The event was held in anticipation of the town's celebration of its Patimyas Ani Festival.

As the vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, the senator played an instrumental role in pushing for funding for the construction of the facility designed to enhance local development, promote good governance and improve public service delivery in the community.

The legislative building, located at the municipal hall compound, will serve as the office of the Sangguniang Bayan and the venue for the sessions and hearings of the local legislative council. Go highlighted the importance of the new establishment in fostering efficient governance to benefit its constituents.

"Today marks a significant milestone for the people of Quezon, Nueva Ecija. This new building symbolizes our commitment to progress and dedication to serving our people with utmost transparency and efficiency," said Go.

"Facilities like these are instrumental in ensuring that the wheels of progress turn smoothly. They provide a conducive environment for our local council to deliberate, decide, and devise policies that will propel your community towards inclusive growth," he added.

In his speech, Go congratulated the local officials led by Mayor Boyet Joson for completing the project. He also lauded the local government for advocating for good governance and other development initiatives.

During his visit, Go also aided displaced workers in Quezon in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment. After which, Go also visited the town's dialysis center which District Representative Mika Suansing advocated for.

The senator, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, expressed his support for establishing the dialysis center, which aims to provide affordable and accessible dailysis treatment for patients with kidney problems.

"I commend Congresswoman Suansing for her initiative to put up this dialysis center, which will greatly help the people of Quezon and nearby towns who need dialysis. This is a very important service, especially for the poor and indigent patients who cannot afford the high cost of dialysis in private hospitals, Go said.

In alignment with his commitment to bolstering specialized healthcare services nationwide, Go also principally sponsored and is one of the authors of the Republic Act No. 11959, also known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act, which was signed into law on August 24. The law mandates the establishment of regional specialty centers within existing Department of Health (DOH) regional hospitals.

Furthermore, Go filed Senate Bill No. 190, known as the "Comprehensive Dialysis Benefit Package Act of 2022". If approved, the bill will mandate PhilHealth, in consultation with the Health Technology Assessment Council, to develop a comprehensive dialysis benefit package that fully covers all costs of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis treatments, sessions, and procedures done in PhilHealth-accredited health facilities.

Meanwhile, Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, urged residents to prioritize their well-being, encouraging them to seek the services of the Malasakit Centers in the province for medical-related assistance.

The Malasakit Centers Act, principally authored and sponsored by Go, simplifies access to medical assistance programs from various government agencies, including the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

Malasakit Centers in the province are located at Eduardo L. Joson Memorial Hospital and Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center (PJGMRMC) in Cabanatuan City, and Talavera General Hospital in Talavera Town.

According to DOH, 159 operational centers have helped more or less ten million Filipinos nationwide.

Go also mentioned his ongoing advocacy for the creation of more Super Health Centers across the country, saying, "Makatutulong po ito sa mga kababayan natin na ilapit po ang serbisyong medikal sa kanila. Ilalagay po ito sa mga strategic areas sa buong Pilipinas."

Super Health Centers are medium versions of a polyclinic and an improved version of the rural health unit that offer a range of services, such as database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray and ultrasound), pharmacy, and ambulatory surgical unit. Other available services are eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) service, oncology centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation centers, and telemedicine, making remote patient diagnosis and treatment possible.

Through the collective efforts of fellow lawmakers, local government units, and DOH, led by Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, sufficient funds have been allocated for more than 700 Super Health Centers from 2022 to 2024. DOH, the lead implementing agency, identifies the strategic areas where they will be constructed.

In Nueva Ecija, Super Health Centers will be initially located in Rizal, Cabanatuan City, San Leonardo, Sto. Domingo, Aliaga, Bongabon, Llanera, Science City of Muñoz, and Zaragoza.

Meanwhile, besides the legislative building in Quezon town, Go also helped fund various projects in the province. Among these projects are the construction of the Talavera National High School Amphitheater; the rehabilitation of roads in Cabiao, General Tinio, Pantabangan, Zaragoza, and Cabanatuan City; the construction of flood mitigation structures in General Tinio, Quezon, San Antonio, and Zaragoza; the construction of multipurpose buildings in Gabaldon, Sta. Rosa and Cabanatuan City; the completion of the PJGMRMC in Cabanatuan City; the reconstruction of the Llanera public market; the rehabilitation of the Baloc public market; and the installation of streetlights.

On the same day, he also provided assistance to indigent residents in Cuyapo town in partnership with GP Partylist Rep. Jose Gay Padiernos.