As the country jumpstarts the economy while government rollouts its vaccination program with first batch of COVID-19 vaccines expected to arrive in the country by end of February, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go is pushing for the passage of key legislative measures that can ease the burden of the pandemic on ordinary Filipinos and ensure continued public service delivery during these challenging times.
“Bilang inyong Senador at tulay ninyo kay Pangulong Duterte, gagawan natin ng paraan na masolusyunan ang gutom; magkaroon ng sapat, ligtas, at epektibong bakuna para sa lahat; at mabibigyan muli ng kabuhayan ang mga nawalan,’’he said. (As your senator and your bridge to President Duterte, we will find ways to address hunger; to have sufficient, safe and effective vaccines for all; and restore the livelihood for those who lost it.)
Go emphasized the need to ensure proper implementation of laws while safeguarding public funds.
“Una sa lahat, sinisigurado natin na magagamit ng wasto ang pondo ng bayan. Hindi tayo papayag na may nagsasamantalang iilan habang naghihirap ang karamihan ng ating kababayan,’’ he added. (First of all, we are ensuring that public funds are utilized correctly. We will not allow some people to take advantage while the majority of our countrymen are suffering.)
Go said that until the very last day of their terms, he and President Rodrigo Duterte would fight corruption.
He stressed that the legislative branch, together with government finance managers, is studying the possibility of pushing for a Bayanihan 3 Act to help ordinary Filipinos overcome the crisis.
Go also said that he supported the passage of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) bill to help small businesses cope with the adverse impact of the crisis.
This measure will also help in the preparation for the rollout of the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program which aims to give new hope to Filipinos who wish to start anew in the provinces after the pandemic.
Moreover, Go said that the government economic cluster is also pushing for the Financial Institutions’ Strategic Transfer or FIST bill and the Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery (GUIDE) bill.
To ensure that government could better adapt to the new normal, Go is also pushing for a measure that will spur the shift of government processes and transactions towards e-governance.
Go also expressed concern for overseas Filipinos who continue to support the economy amid various crisis situations they face around the world.
He emphasized the need to pass the Department of Overseas Filipinos (DOFil) bill.
Given all these proposed measures to help the country recover, Go stressed the importance of procuring safe and effective vaccines as well as the cooperation of the public to stop the spread of the disease.
“Mga kababayan ko, ang kooperasyon ng lahat ang pinaka-importanteng hakbang tungo sa ating muling pagbangon. Habang binubuhay muli natin ang ekonomiya, huwag muna tayo magkumpyansa at patuloy tayong mag-ingat,’’ he added. (My counytrymen, the cooperation of all is a very important step towards our recovery. While we are restoring the economy, we should not be complacent and we should continue to be careful.)