Bong Go assists displaced workers and out-of-school youth in Eastern Visayas

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said that the government will continue to undertake necessary measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and urged everyone to take up the personal responsibility of abiding by health protocols to slow down its spread.
In a video message at an activity in Daram, Samar on Wednesday, September 22, Go reiterated the importance of proper mask use, social distancing and other such protocols to protect those most vulnerable to the disease, such as the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions.
“Sa mga kapatid kong Bisaya at Waray, pakiusap mag-cooperate po tayo sa gobyerno. Ginagawa ang lahat na ito para sa kapakanan ninyo. Magtulungan at patuloy tayong magmalasakit sa ating kapwa dahil ang ligtas na komunidad at maayos na kalusugan ang pinaka-importanteng maipapamahagi natin sa ating mga mahal sa buhay,” appealed Go.
The Senator’s outreach team provided meals, vitamins, masks, and face shields to a total of 512 beneficiaries, consisting of displaced workers and out-of-school youth, at the Daram municipal gym.
Selected beneficiaries were given new shoes while some were provided bicycles for their daily commute. Others received computer tablets to help their children participate in their educational activities under the blended learning set-up.
The representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development separately provided each beneficiary with financial assistance. The Department of Labor and Employment also distributed livelihood assistance to the displaced workers.
“Isa po akong vendor at may apat na anak. Nung walang pandemya, mas masaya kami dahil nakakagala kami ng mga anak ko. Ang laki ng pinagbago ngayon kasi nahiwalay kaming pamilya. Nandito kami sa probinsya at ‘yung asawa ko naman nasa Maynila. Nahirapan na kaming magbumalik dahil sa mga restrictions,” said Aemie Quintero, 28, a resident of Barangay Bon-anon.
“Maraming salamat kay Senator Bong Go at sa DSWD para sa natanggap namin na tulong. Gagamitin ko yung pera pangdagdag puhunan sa aking benta. Kay Presidente (Rodrigo) Duterte naman, panalig at laban lang po!” she continued.
The Senator, who heads the Senate Committee on Health, offered medical assistance to the sick, elderly and other vulnerable groups and advised them to visit the Malasakit Center at the Samar Provincial Hospital in Catbalogan City.
The Malasakit Center, which opened in March 2019, is a one-stop shop for the medical assistance programs of the DSWD, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. There are currently 141 centers operational across the country and are available in every province in Eastern Visayas.
“Pwede niyo din lapitan ang Malasakit Center at tutulungan kayo nito para wala na kayong babayaran sa ospital,” reassured Go, who authored the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019.
As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, he has supported numerous initiatives not only in Samar but also to other parts of Eastern Visayas like Southern Leyte, to foster its economic development and recovery from the ongoing crisis.
Among these were the improvement of roads and other public structures such as the concreting of roads; construction of farm-to-market roads; and construction of multi-purpose halls.
All activities are held in batches in compliance with the health and safety protocols against COVID-19.