Bong Go advocates for disaster preparedness during Liga ng mga Barangay - Northern Samar Chapter seminar in Pasay City

Senator Christopher 'Bong' Go stressed the importance of disaster preparedness in the Philippines during his attendance at the Liga ng mga Barangay - Northern Samar Chapter's Restricted Land Mobile Permit and Disaster Preparedness Operation seminar and workshop in Pasay City on Sunday, February 18.

Starting his speech, Go thanked the League for spearheading such a vital initiative. "I extend my sincere gratitude to the League for providing a platform where barangay officials can come together to train, learn, and improve their knowledge on disaster preparedness to ensure timely response and mitigation efforts during disasters," he said.

The Philippines' vulnerability to disasters was a key focus, with Go citing the 2022 World Risk Report that ranked the country at the forefront of disaster risk globally.

The islands of Samar and Leyte, in particular, are often battered by typhoons due to their location.

"The World Risk Report in 2022 showed that our country ranked first among the top 10 countries with the highest disaster risk," he noted.

Go then shared his legislative efforts to enhance the nation's disaster resilience, including authoring and co-sponsoring Senate Bill No. 2451, known as the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act. He highlighted the importance of establishing mandatory evacuation centers across provinces and municipalities to provide safe havens with adequate sanitation, medicine, and comfort, especially for children.

Furthermore, Go, vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on National Defense, pushed for his proposed SBN 188 to establish the Department of Disaster Resilience. If enacted into law, the new department shall streamline disaster managenent efforts and concentrate on three key result areas: disaster risk reduction, disaster preparedness and response, and recovery and building forward better.

Go then specifically acknowledged LNB President for Northern Samar, Arturo Dubongco, and LNB Vice President for Northern Samar Councilor Beatriz Amande, and the barangay officials.

He also thanked Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan, recalling their shared history and the warm reception even during the Duterte administration. He also thanked Congressmen Harris Ongchuan and Paul Daza, noting their significant contributions and support for government programs.

As the chairman of the Committee on Health, he then emphasized his three priority health initiatives: Malasakit Centers, Super Health Centers, and Regional Specialty Centers.

The Republic Act No. 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which Go principally authored and sponsored, institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program. These one-stop shops aim to support impoverished patients in reducing their hospital costs to the least possible amount by streamlining access to government medical assistance programs.

Currently, 159 Malasakit Centers are operational nationwide, poised to assist with patients' medical expenses, which provide aid to around ten million Filipinos, according to the DOH.

Lastly, Go addressed the need for Regional Specialty Centers to cater to patients requiring specialized medical treatment, which is currently centralized in urban areas like Quezon City. Go principally sponsored and is one of the authors of the Republic Act No. 11959, also known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act, signed into law by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. last year.