Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has called for the strengthening of local and global cooperation to assist in the country’s development.

Go made the call in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and the other challenges confronting the world.

“Against this backdrop, it is imperative that we strengthen our ties with other countries to identify areas in which we could work together towards the fulfillment of our respective national goals,” he said.

From October 24 to 26, Go and his fellow senators traveled to France on a three-day parliamentary visit.

Led by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, the visit was in celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the Philippines and France, and it was also aimed to facilitate exchanges between the two countries' legislatures.

Other senators composing the Philippine delegation include Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor Ejercito, and senators Manuel Lapid, Maria Lourdes Binay, and Grace Poe.

“I am optimistic that the visit would pave the way for a more profound relationship between the Philippines and France, especially as it had opened up new opportunities for collaboration between the two nations in areas such as sustainable energy, climate change, economic growth, and food security,” said Go.

Go also represented the Philippine Senate in the unveiling of the ceremonial plaque commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Spain at the Jose Rizal Monument, Avenida de las Islas Filipinas in Madrid, Spain after the parliamentary visit in France.

According to Go, the ceremony was an appropriate tribute to the rich history shared by the Philippines and Spain, as well as to Filipino hero Dr. Jose Rizal whose beliefs and advocacies “continue to inspire a nation even after more than 100 years since he died.”

“I myself share the same passion as our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, which is to serve and love our country and our fellow Filipinos,” he added.

The senator from Davao was also thankful to have been given an opportunity during the foreign visits to meet his fellow Filipinos residing there.

“I know it is hard to be away from their loved ones here so it was a pleasure to share stories with them as they extended their warm welcome and also showed their support to our shared advocacies towards providing a safer and more comfortable life for our children,” Go said.

As chairman of the Senate committee on health and demography, Go also took the opportunity to personally thank the French and Spanish governments for their Covid-19 vaccine donations to the Philippines at the height of the pandemic.

“The donations went a long way toward ensuring the success of our vaccination program and the safety of our citizens against the threat of the virus,” said Go.

Meanwhile, Go also extended his condolences to those who have suffered the loss of loved ones as a result of the devastation caused by storm Paeng.

As the Philippines is considered to be one of the most susceptible to the consequences of climate change, it would greatly benefit from more collaboration in addressing climate change, according to Go.

“In fact, many areas in our country are at present inundated due to the severe tropical storm Paeng, claiming many lives of our people, displacing even more and causing damages to properties and infrastructures,” he said.

“Worse, this came on the heels of a magnitude 6.4 earthquake that hit Abra province last October 25,” he added.

Likewise, Go has given his fellow Filipinos his word that he would do everything in his power to lend support and assist in the recovery of the communities that were impacted by the disaster.

“I am continuously coordinating with our national agencies on ground and concerned local government units to assist them in every way we can. Our teams are in Maguindanao, Zamboanga, Cotabato, Cavite, Panay Island and other affected areas to help in the relief operations,” he reassured.

Go also renewed his call for the establishment of the Department of Disaster Resilience and construction of mandatory evacuation centers in every town, city, and province following the devastation brought about by storm ‘’Paeng’’ and other recent disasters.

“As we commiserate with those who have lost lives, let us do our best to ensure we can save more lives now and protect more lives in the future,” he said.

Go stressed that cooperation, whether domestically or internationally, is crucial to achieving every collective goal.

He then called on Filipinos “to forge closer ties and boost each other up” so that even in the face of local and even global challenges, everyone can all “emerge stronger and better than ever.”