Bong Go spearheads recovery efforts for fire victims in Muntinlupa City

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, together with Mayor Rozzano Rufino Biazon and Vice Mayor Artemio Simundac, among other local officials, personally led a distribution activity for recovering fire victims in Muntinlupa City on Wednesday, March 6.

"Masigabong palikpakan para kay Senator Bong Go na walang bisyo kundi ang magserbisyo at tayo po ay nagpapasalamat sa ngalan ng Muntinlipenyo sa mga tulong na binibigay ni Senator Bong Go. Alam niyo po hindi lang ito ang pagkakataon na siya ay pumunta at nagbigay ng tulong... Kahit hindi pa siya senador, kahit noong panahon pa ni dating pangulo (Rodrigo Duterte), siya ay nage-extend ng tulong sa ating mga kababayan," Mayor Biazon expressed.

In his speech, Go lauded all local officials for immediately attending to the needs of their constituents and further said that he will continue to help the community to the best of his capacity.

"Sa mga nasunugan, huwag ho kayong mag-alala magtulungan tayo. Ang gamit po nabibili, ang damit nalalabhan, ang pera kikitain. Subalit ang perang kikitain ay hindi po nabibili ang buhay. A lost life is a lost life forever. Importante buhay tayo at magtulungan tayo. Magsipag lang tayo. Kilala naman po ang Pilipino sa pagiging masipag at matulungin," said Go.

"Gusto kong pasalamatan ang ating mahal na mayor. Alam n'yo isa po sa aking hinahangaan na senador yung kanyang ama noon pa man po. Kaya talagang tinitingala ko itong pamilya Biazon," he expressed.

The relief operation was held at Barangay Cupang Covered Court where a total of 200 families received grocery packs, snacks, masks, vitamins, shirts, and balls for basketball and volleyball. Meanwhile, the senator also gave away bicycles, shoes, watches and mobile phones to select recipients.

Through Go's initiative, a team from the National Housing Authority (NHA) extended emergency housing assistance to qualified families to help them buy the materials they need to rebuild their homes.

Go expressed his gratitude to the agency, saying, "Salamat po sa NHA at mayroon po kayong matatanggap ngayong araw na ito sa programang EHAP. Gamitin niyo po pambili ng housing materials tulad ng pako, yero at iba pa."

"Sa totoo lang po huwag po kayong magpasalamat sa amin. Kami po'y mga probinsyano lamang na taga-Mindanao na binigyan nyo po ng pagkakataon na makapagserbisyo sa inyo. Kami po ang dapat magpasalamat sa inyo. Maraming maraming salamat po sa pagkakataong ibinigay n'yo po sa akin, sa amin. Magtatrabaho po ako para sa Pilipino. Hindi po ako pulitiko na mangangako sa inyo. Gagawin ko lang po ang aking trabaho sa abot ng aking makakaya," Go said.

In observance of the Fire Prevention Month, the lawmaker is instrumental for the enactment of Republic Act No. 11589 which provides for a ten-year modernization of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), improving its capabilities to better respond to fire incidents.

Primarily authored and co-sponsored by Go in the Senate, the law also mandates the BFP to conduct monthly fire prevention campaigns and information drives in every local government unit, particularly in informal settlements and economically depressed areas.

"Karagdagang kagamitan, karagdagang personnel, at regular education and awareness campaign. Importante po ang modernization ng Bureau of Fire, kita nyo po ang mga nasusunugan dito, sa bawat bahay na nasusunog, damay ang kapitbahay. Dikit-dikit ang mga bahay. Dapat po nandiriyan yung education campaign sa mga kababayan natin at ingat po, yung mga faulty wiring, illegal tapping ng wiring, delikado po 'yun," said Go.

"Importante turuan paano mag-ingat ang ating mga kababayan. Nakikiusap po ako sa ating Bureau of Fire (Protection) na paigtingin pa po ang fire prevention efforts dahil mayroon naman po tayong modernization (program)," he added.

Go, who serves as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, encouraged family members to seek the services of Malasakit Center located at Research Institute for Tropical Medicine if they may need assistance with their hospital bills.

Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program. Currently, 159 Malasakit Centers are operational nationwide, poised to assist with patients' medical expenses. The DOH reports that the Malasakit Center program has already provided aid to around ten million Filipinos.

Furthermore, Go continues to help improve access to healthcare in the grassroots as he supported the construction of a Super Health Center in the city.

A Super Health Center is an improved version of a rural health unit. It offers health services including 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 center; and telemedicine, where remote diagnosis and treatment of patients will be done.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go likewise supported the acquisition of medicines for the city's Rolling Botika, a multipurpose vehicle, and COVID-19 kits. He also supported the construction of an evacuation center and a stand-alone dialysis clinic inside Bureau of Corrections.