Bagabag, Bayombong residents receive aid

The office of Senator Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go continued its relief efforts in the province of Nueva Vizcaya, this time in the towns of Bagabag and Bayombong for vulnerable residents who are struggling to provide for their families due to the ongoing health crisis. The senator’s team handed out meals, masks and shirts to 348 residents at their respective multipurpose town halls. They also provided select residents with shoes and phablets, and gave away bicycles and balls for basketball and volleyball to others as part of Go’s efforts to encourage more Filipinos to engage in sports instead of vices. Personnel from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also extended livelihood grants through its Sustainable Livelihood Program.

In his video message, Go noted the challenges brought by the pandemic to many Filipino families and vowed to continue assisting the poor and marginalized across the country. Go, who heads the Senate Committee on Health, also offered additional assistance to beneficiaries with health concerns. He encouraged them to seek the services of the Malasakit Center at Region II Trauma and Medical Center in Bayombong where they will be assisted with their hospital expenses. The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop which aims to reduce the hospital bills of particularly poor and indigent patients to the lowest amount possible. It brings together the agencies which offer medical assistance, namely, the DSWD, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. The program was institutionalized under Republic Act 11463, also known as the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which Go principally authored and sponsored. It has assisted more than three million patients nationwide since its launch in 2018.