Digos City tornado victims get assistance
Amid various calamities affecting the country, Senator Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go remains determined to push anew the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR). Filed by Go, Senate Bill 188 aims to establish a focused agency that will proactively address natural disasters. Under the refiled proposed bill, DDR will bring together all essential functions and mandates currently scattered among various disaster-related agencies. Once established, it shall be primarily responsible for implementing programs, projects and activities that ensure communities are disaster-resilient, adaptive and safe.The senator’s team conducted relief efforts in Digos City, Davao del Sur and provided grocery packs, meals, shirts, masks and vitamins to a total of 19 tornado-hit families at Barangay San Miguel Hall. The team also gave bicycles, phablets and shoes to select individuals. The Department of Social Welfare and Development provided financial assistance to the tornado victims to help them sustain their daily necessities while still recovering from the calamity. Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry and the National Housing Authority conducted on-site assessments and provided livelihood and housing assistance, respectively, to qualified recipients. Go also reached out to the beneficiaries with health concerns and encouraged them to visit the Malasakit Center located at Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital in the city where they may seek medical care. Primarily authored and sponsored by Go, the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 mandates all hospitals managed and administered by the Department of Health and Philippine General Hospital to construct their own Malasakit Centers to provide particularly poor and indigent patients convenient access to medical assistance programs by the government. There are currently 151 Malasakit Centers nationwide.