Senator Christopher ‘’Bong’’ Go, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), personally led the distribution of livelihood grants to former rebels who wished to rejoin society at the Provincial Police Office court, Borongan, Eastern Samar.
Go, chairman of the Senate Health and Demography Committee, said assistance might be used to open up a small business that might potentially sustain their daily needs.
The Sustainable Livelihood Program’s (SLP)-Livelihood Settlement Grant (LSG) of the DSWD, in support of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) of the government, aims to provide financial aid to such individuals so that they can become productive members of their communities.
Under the ECLIP, former rebels will receive financial support in the form of immediate, livelihood, and reintegration assistance, and firearms remuneration depending on the surrendered firearms, among others.
Additionally, Go and his team gave relief items, such as grocery packs, vitamins, masks, meals, umbrellas and shirts to all beneficiaries. Meanwhile, Go likewise gave bicycles, cellular phones, shoes, watches, and balls for basketball and volleyball to select recipients.
In line with his advocacy to encourage more Filipinos to engage more in sports, Go proceeded to witness the Governor Ben Evardone Cup Eastern Samar Basketball and Volleyball League at the provincial gymnasium.
“As chairman of the Senate committee on sports , my advocacy is sports – I want to keep the youth away from the illegal drugs. I want to continue the campaign of former President Duterte against illegal drugs by means of encouraging the youth to get into sports. I am appealing to our youth to get into sports, stay away from drugs,” Go said.
The senator from Davao also urged those with underlying health conditions to visit the Malasakit Center at Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital in the city should they need medical assistance from the government.
Designed to be a one-stop shop for poor and indigent patients, the Malasakit Center puts together concerned agencies, such as DSWD, the Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), under one roof to provide convenient access to their medical assistance programs to significantly lower patients’ hospital expenses.
To date, there are 152 Malasakit Centers that have helped millions of Filipinos nationwide. Go is the principal author and sponsor of the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019.
He likewise supported the construction of a Super Health center in Dolores which would offer basic health services, such as database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray and ultrasound), pharmacy and ambulatory surgical unit.
Other available services are eye, ear, nose and throat (EENT) service; oncology centers; physical therapy and rehabilitation center; and telemedicine, where remote diagnosis and treatment of patients will be done.
Go stressed that the government aims to construct 307 Super Health Centers in the Philippines this year.
He likewise noted that nearly P3.6 billion has been allocated under the 2022 Health Facilities Enhancement Program to build these centers. DOH plans to construct at least 320 more SHCs in 2023.
As he likewise advocates for a more progressive Borongan City, Go, who serves as vice chairman of the Senate committee on finance, supported the construction of the road from Barangay Camada to Barangay Pinangg-an.