Bong Go's Malasakit Team assists fire victims in Belison, Antique

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go's Malasakit Team visited fire victims in Belison, Antique, on Wednesday, May 15, and gave them immediate relief. "Alam kong napakahirap pong masunugan. Umpisa po muli, back to zero. Naiintindihan ko po ang inyong nararamdaman dahil palagi kong binibisita 'yung mga nasunugan," Go said in a message.

"Mahirap masunugan. Pero tandaan po natin, ang gamit po'y nabibili natin. Ang damit po'y nalalabhan. Ang pera po ay kikitain natin. Subalit 'yung perang kikitain ay hindi po nabibili ang buhay, ang nawalang buhay ay wala na po. A lost life is a lost life forever. Importante po buhay tayo. Huwag ho kayong mawalan ng pag-asa," he continued.

The senator then lauded the efforts of local officials, such as Congressman Antonio Agapito "AA" Legarda Jr., Governor Rhodora Cadiao, Vice Governor Edgar "Ed" Denosta, Mayor Topher Piccio, and Vice Mayor Acay Jacaba, among others, for attending to the needs of fire-hit households.

"Magtulungan lang po tayo at kilala po ang Pilipino sa pagtutulungan. Pangalagaan po natin ang buhay ng bawat isa dahil bawat bahay na nasusunog, nadadamay po ang kapitbahay. Kaya ingat po tayo," Go reminded.

Go's Malasakit Team visited the homes of the four affected families in Barangay Poblacion and distributed financial assistance, grocery packs, water gallons, snacks, shirts, vitamins, and balls for basketball and volleyball.

The National Housing Authority then assessed the affected households who may qualify for further housing assistance through the Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP), an initiative that Go continues to support.

The lawmaker was instrumental in the enactment of Republic Act No. 11589, which provides for a ten-year modernization of the Bureau of Fire Protection, 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.

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 Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital (ASMGH) in San Jose de Buenavista.

First launched in Cebu in 2018, the center is a one-stop shop that brings together under one roof the concerned agencies from which patients may seek medical assistance. To date, there are 165 Malasakit Centers nationwide that have helped more or less ten million patients nationwide.

The senator, also known as Mr. Malasakit, vowed to continue serving the Filipino people to the best of his capacity. "Ilapit natin ang serbisyo ng gobyerno sa mga nangangailangan nito lalo na pagdating sa kalusugan ng mga mahihirap nating kababayan. 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," he ended.