Go, solons reaffirm health care commitment
Legal aid summit slated in Bacolod
A four-day legal aid summit to enhance protection of human rights through legal assistance will be tackled in Bacolod City starting Sunday, 27 November.
The Supreme Court in partnership with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the Philippine Association of Law Schools, the Free Legal Assistance Group and the Alternative Law Groups will spearhead the summit.
The Public Information Office of the SC, in a briefer, said the summit is supported by the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative, the European Union GoJust II Programme and The Asia Foundation Program.
The summit, which will be held at the L’Fisher Hotel, is called “Reimagining the Art of Legal Empotwerment: National Summit on Access to Justice through Cultivating Approaches on Legal Aid.”
It (summit) will focus on two constitutional mandates — full protection of human rights and no denial of legal assistance to any person by reason of poverty.
The summit participants are expected “to work out a common vision of adequate legal aid and a calibrated and strategic approach premised on cooperation, coordination, and collaboration through various plenary discussions, dialogues, keynote addresses and breakout sessions.”
It said “the keynote addresses, a summary of the plenary discussions, and the recommendations identified in the breakout sessions of the event shall be collated, published, and made available to the delegates and other stakeholders following the conclusion of the Summit.”
Those who will be part of the summit are SC justices, court officials, legal aid stockholders, and select members of the Bar.
Following the launch of the 153rd Malasakit Center in the country, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography Christopher “Bong” Go personally inspected the progress of the Super Health Center in San Fernando City, Pampanga on Thursday, 24 November, as part of his commitment to focus on improving the country’s health care system.
Go then reaffirmed that he and his fellow legislators continue to develop measures that will significantly improve the country’s healthcare services, stressing the importance of investing more in the health sector after the pandemic adversely affected the latter.
In line with this, Go supported the allocation of sufficient funds for the construction of 307 Super Health Centers nationwide which will be coming from the 2022 Health Facilities Enhancement Program. He also pushed that more SHCs be built in 2023.
Aside from San Fernando City, Go also supported the construction of five more Super Health Centers in Pampanga, to be located in Lubao, Macabebe, Magalang, Porac and San Agustin towns.
These centers aim to provide basic health services such as database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: X-ray, ultrasound), pharmacy, and ambulatory surgical unit. Other available services are eye, ear, nose, and throat service; oncology centers; physical therapy and rehabilitation center; and telemedicine, where remote diagnosis and treatment of patients will be done.
Go likewise briefly visited the newly constructed dialysis center of the city.
Right after the inspection, the senator and his team proceeded to the Heroes’ Hall where he led a distribution activity for 750 struggling Kapampangans. The beneficiaries then received grocery packs, meals, vitamins, masks, shirts and umbrellas.
Vulnerable sectors
The senator reaffirmed his commitment to helping more vulnerable sectors, especially amid the ongoing pandemic, as he likewise sent assistance to households in crisis in Calamba City, Laguna last Wednesday, 23 November.
Go’s staff held the distribution at the Laguna Provincial Capitol Extension where they handed out snacks and masks to 389 indigent residents. They also gave away shoes, cellular phones, and balls for basketball and volleyball to select individuals.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development provided separate cash assistance under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.
In his video message, Go renewed his call to the public to remain vigilant and adherent to the health protocols against Covid-19 and urged those eligible to get inoculated and boosted.