Bong Go tells youth to prioritize country

DAGUPAN CITY: Let’s prioritize the welfare of the country.

This was the message of Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go during the Leaders Summit at the Panpacific University in Urdaneta, Pangasinan on Thursday, February 22.

Go, an adopted son of Pangasinan, was invited as inspirational speaker at the event, which coincided with the 31st founding anniversary of Panpacific University’s Urdaneta campus and the 20th founding anniversary of its Tayug campus.

The Leaders Summit brought together a diverse group of educators and students, among others, to discuss the importance of leadership and service among the youth and the role of education in achieving sustainable development goals.

Go, known for his vigorous advocacy for education and youth development, highlighted the importance of investing in education as a cornerstone for national development.

“You, the youth, are the future of this nation,” the senator said in Tagalog. “Who knows, one of you out there might become a senator of this nation someday.”

The senator also urged the youth to embrace the values of hard work, perseverance, and integrity as they navigate their paths towards their future careers. He also expressed his gratitude towards the parents, acknowledging their indispensable role in shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

Go and his Malasakit Team then distributed tokens to each student and faculty member in attendance.

“When I think of service, I think of how important education is. It builds our nation — giving people the tools and the values to contribute to their communities and our country,” he said.

Building upon the successes of Republic Act 10931 or the “Universal Access To Quality Tertiary Education Act,” which was enacted during the term of former president Rodrigo Duterte, Go co-authored and co-sponsored Senate Bill (SB) 1360, which proposes to broaden subsidies for tertiary education by amending the said Act.

“This law marked a significant step towards realizing free education in state colleges and universities, a dream for many Filipinos. As we provided funding for this program, we sent a clear message: the doors of education shall remain open for every aspiring student in the country,” Go said.

Go also co-authored and co-sponsored SB 1359, or the No Permit, No Exam Prohibition bill; SB 1864, aimed at instituting a moratorium on student loan payments during disasters and emergencies; and SB 1964, also known as the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo bill.

Additionally, he filed SB 1190 to enhance the Special Education Fund available to local government units if enacted into law.