Grandmother gives thanks to Bong Go

SEN. Christopher “Bong” Go, known as Mr. Malasakit by many, was visibly touched during his recent visit to Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, where he witnessed firsthand the profound impact of his brainchild, the Malasakit Centers program.

In the middle of the senator’s speech during the relief activity for displaced workers at the Himamaylan City Hall on Saturday, March 23, Arlene Velasco, a determined grandmother, made her way to the microphone, eager to express her profound gratitude to the senator for the assistance her grandchild, Hyubz Chasten Tanallo, received through the Malasakit Centers program.

“Thank you very much Senator Bong Go and Mayor Mhai, for giving me medical assistance worth one million pesos for the operation of my grandchild scheduled on April 12 in Manila,” she said in Filipino.

Hyubz, who is battling rheumatic heart disease, underwent critical diagnostic procedures, including a CT scan at Bacolod Adventist Medical Center. It was there that doctors identified the urgent need for heart surgery to address her condition immediately.

Recognizing the critical need for help, Arlene sought assistance from La Castellana Mayor Alme Rhummyla “Mhai-Mhai” Nicor-Mangilimutan. The latter then referred them to the nearest Malasakit Center, eventually leading her family to get the surgery procedures they needed at the Philippine Heart Center in Metro Manila.

“Senator Bong Go and Mayor Myla were like heaven-sent blessings to me. Specifically, I thanked Senator Bong Go because he assisted my grandchild in undergoing surgery at the Philippine Heart Center on April 12,” she said.

“Senator Bong Go, I hope you continue to help many more people here in Negros and throughout the Philippines. May the Lord grant you a long life so you can assist even more. God bless you; we will never forget you.”

Launched in 2018 by then Special Assistant to the President Bong Go, the Malasakit Centers program represents a significant stride towards making medical assistance more accessible and efficient for the Filipino people, especially the underprivileged.

Designed as a one-stop shop, these centers aim to streamline the process of obtaining medical assistance from various government agencies, including the Department of Health (DoH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), significantly reducing the bureaucratic hurdles that often impede the delivery of timely and adequate health care needed to save lives.

This initiative was further solidified through the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 11463, which was principally sponsored and authored by Go when he became senator in 2019, mandating the establishment of Malasakit Centers in qualified public hospitals across the country under the law.

Currently, there are 161 Malasakit Centers spread across the Philippines, including the one at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City. According to DoH, Malasakit centers have assisted more than ten million Filipinos, alleviating the burden of medical-related expenses.