Sustain Malasakit Centers – Bong Go

SEN. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, has appealed to the incoming Marcos administration to continue and further support the Malasakit Centers program, which he initiated in 2018.

The Malasakit Centers program, a brainchild of Go, is a one-stop shop that brings together concerned agencies, such as the Department of Health (DoH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, so that poor and indigent Filipinos may conveniently seek medical assistance.

The senator made the appeal as he conducted a monitoring visit to the country's 23rd Malasakit Center at the Tarlac Provincial Hospital in Tarlac City on Wednesday, June 15.

To date, there are 151 Malasakit Centers nationwide.

Go noted that the centers are part of the Duterte administration's efforts to bring the government closer to Filipinos and strengthen access to health care services, particularly in poor, rural and far-flung communities.

"Patapos na ang termino ni Pangulong Duterte, ang tanong po dito (ay kung) maipagpapatuloy ba ito? Ako po ay nakikiusap sa susunod na mga mamamahala ng DoH, sa susunod na administrasyon, kung sa tingin ninyo naman po na nakakatulong po sa ating mga kababayan ay ipagpatuloy ninyo po ito na programa, dahil nakakatulong po ito sa mga mahihirap (President Duterte's term is nearing its end, the question is, will the program continue? I am appealing to the leadership of the DoH, the next administration, if you think that the program benefits our countrymen, then continue this program, because this really helps the poor)," the senator said in a chance interview after his visit.

The President steps down on June 30, 2022.

Go authored and sponsored Republic Act (RA) 11463, which institutionalizes the establishment of Malasakit Centers in DoH-run hospitals and the Philippine General Hospital.

During the visit, he commended health care workers and health services personnel for being the first line of defense in the fight against Covid-19.

Go said that despite the lack of resources and other challenges amid the pandemic, frontliners have quickly adapted and dedicated themselves to serving the people.

In line with his commitment to support the first-line defenders against Covid-19, Go authored and co-sponsored RA 11712, which provides benefits and allowances to public and private health care workers during a state of public health emergency.

He also authored and co-sponsored RA 11466, or the "Salary Standardization Law 5," in 2019 that gives civilian government employees, including nurses, their fifth round of salary increases broken down in tranches.

Go pointed out the urgency and the need to invest more in the country's health care sector.

Also during the visit, the senator mentioned that with the help of the DoH, they were able to allocate P10 million worth of additional resources for the Tarlac Provincial Hospital.

He committed to help secure additional support to improve the delivery of services in the hospital.

Go and his team also personally provided relief items, such as meals, grocery packs, masks, and vitamins to 427 patients and 892 frontliners.

Staff from the DSWD also extended financial assistance to the patients and 665 rank-and-file employees in the hospital.

The senator also provided shoes and phablets to select individuals and handed out bicycles and balls for volleyball and basketball as part of his commitment as chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports to encourage more Filipinos to engage in sports.

"Get into sports, stay away from drugs. Kaya ako po ay umiikot, namimigay po ako ng bola, ini-engganyo ko na lang po ang mga kabataan na maglaro na lang tayo ng sports. Dahil iyong inumpisahan ni Pangulong Duterte, 'yung kampanya laban sa iligal na droga, kampanya laban sa kriminalidad, at kampanya laban sa korapsyon sa gobyerno, ayaw po nating masayang ito (This is the reason why I go around and give away balls in order to encourage the youth to play and engage in sports. We do not want to waste what President Duterte has started, such as the campaign against illegal drugs, criminality and corruption in the government)," Go said.

Meanwhile, the senator committed to help one uniformed personnel whose child had been admitted to the Tarlac hospital.

In his speech, Go expressed his concern to the uniformed personnel, citing how hard it is for parents to see their child in a critical condition.

Before the Malasakit Center monitoring, he kickstarted the three-day relief effort for thousands of struggling residents in the city.

The senator personally led his team in the distribution of assistance to 3,000 residents at Kaisa Convention Hall.

The previous day, Go joined President Rodrigo Duterte in inspecting the newly constructed National Academy of Sports in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac.

Source: TheManila Times