Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has renewed his call for the public to be remain vigilant against the threat of COVID-19 even as the government is poised to make the wearing of face mask optional especially in schools.

“Inuulit ko: dapat bakunado para protektado (I repeat: one must be vaccinated to be protected against COVID-19),” Go said in a statement on Wednesday, November 3.

“As chair of the Senate Committee on Health, the health and safety of our people are my primary priorities. Ang buhay ng tao, hindi katulad ng isang pelikula, ay walang part two. A life lost is a life lost forever. Pag-ingatan natin ang buhay at kalusugan ng bawat isa ( Human life, unlike a movie, has no part two. A life lost is a life lost forever. Let's take care of each other's life and health),” the senator stressed.

Go reiterated that while he welcomes science-based policies and measures that would help the country “normalize” after suffering from the negative impact of the pandemic, it is still imperative to be exercise precautionary measures such as the wearing of masks indoors and outdoors.

“We should still not be complacent as the threat of an unseen and evolving enemy remains,” he stressed.

“Kung hindi naman sagabal o mahirap, hinihikayat ko ang lahat lalo na ang kabataan na magsuot pa rin ng masks. Ito ay bilang proteksyon hindi lang sa ating mga sarili kundi maging sa mga kapamilya nating mahihina ang resistensya, mga matatanda, sakitin at hindi pa bakunado. Huwag lang muna tayong magkumpyansa (If it's not an obstacle or difficult, I encourage everyone especially the youth to still wear masks. This is for protection not only for ourselves but also for our family members who have weak immunity, the elderly, the sick and those who have not been vaccinated. Let's not get too confident),” the lawmaker emphasized.

Likewise, Go renewed his call for the public to get themselves vaccinated and or boostered, saying it is the only way an individual person can shield himself from getting infected.

“Masyadong mababa pa ang booster rate natin, isa sa mga pinakamababa sa buong Southeast Asian region (Our booster rate is still too low, one of the lowest in the entire Southeast Asian region),” he said.

“As of November 1 — we have only vaccinated around 48 percent of children aged 5-11. First booster dose uptake remains low nationally among all age groups at around 26 percent of the target population,” he pointed out.