In sickness and health: A couple's battle with illness takes a turn towards healing through the help of Bong Go and the Malasakit Center

With her husband Jonaldo having gone through serious heart ailment three times, Pia Daway, 65, of Novaliches, Quezon City never thought their situation could get any worse.

Jonaldo's first two surgeries happened 10 years apart. In 2022, his condition necessitated yet another urgent medical intervention. Her voice was a mixture of worry and relief, Pia recalled the ordeals of heart disease that plagued her husband, "Noong una po na siya ay operahan, bypass (surgery). After 10 years, naulit po siya. Ang procedure na po na ginawa ay angioplasty."

As if life's challenges were not enough, Pia herself was not spared. "Ako, nagkasakit po ako ng cancer, dalawang cancer," she shared, her resilience evident in her calm demeanor. The dual diagnosis of cancer came at a time when their financial resources were already stretched thin by Jonaldo's medical needs.

It was during one of their most desperate moments that a friend working at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City introduced them to the Malasakit Center.

"Ngayon, 'yung kaibigan kasi namin, nandun sa Heart Center. 'Sige, Tita,' sabi niya sa akin, 'Tutulungan ka namin... nandiyan po ang Malasakit Center," she recounted.

The Malasakit Center, an initiative started by Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, is designed to reduce hospital bills to the lowest possible amount by pooling together resources from various medical assistance programs of key government agencies.

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. As of now, 165 Malasakit Centers are operational nationwide, poised to assist with patients' medical expenses. The Department of Health reports that the Malasakit Center program has already provided aid to more or less ten million Filipinos.

For Pia and Jonaldo, the center provided a vital renewal of hope and possibility. "Yung asawa ko, magkano po 'yung kanyang maintenance... talaga hong ang mamahal," Pia explained, detailing the high cost of Jonaldo's medical maintenance.

With the help of the Malasakit Center, the Daways were able to navigate through these financial burdens and focus on recovery through the medical assistance provided by agencies conveniently available under one roof.

Gratitude filled Pia's voice as she spoke of Go. "Pag kayo ay nangangailangan, lalo na sa sakit, ay, takbo kayo kay Malasakit Center. Kuya Bong Go! Sa iyo, nakita namin ang pagmamahal mo sa bayan," she exclaimed, her words a sincere endorsement of the senator's service.

Her message is clear and heartfelt: "Good luck! God bless! And thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you very much! My family, the Daways, thank you very much! We love you!"

In response, Go's humility shines through as he redirected the appreciation back to the people he serves: "Wag po kayong magpasalamat sa amin. Kami po ang dapat magpasalamat sa inyo dahil binigyan niyo po kami ng pagkakataon na makapag-serbisyo po sa inyo lahat. Maraming salamat po sa inyo lahat!"

Jonaldo and Pia Daway's story, marked by adversity, resilience, love, and the transformative support of the Malasakit Center, underscores the profound difference of compassionate service can make in the lives of ordinary Filipinos.

Go, known as Mr. Malasakit for his compassionate service to Filipinos, stated, "Patuloy kaming magseserbisyo sa inyo dahil bisyo ko ang magserbisyo, at ako ay naniniwala na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo 'yan sa Panginoon, serbisyo 'yan kay Allah."