GET INTO SPORTS – BONG GO
AFTER providing assistance to fire victims in Las Piñas City, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go immediately proceeded to visit Borongan City, Eastern Samar on Thursday, November 17, where he personally led the distribution of assistance to former rebels who wished to rejoin society.
Go partnered with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in providing livelihood grants to 378 former rebels at the Provincial Police Office court.
The said assistance may be used to open up a small business that may potentially sustain their daily needs.
The Sustainable Livelihood Program’s Livelihood Settlement Grant of the agency, in support of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-Clip) of the government, aims to provide financial aid to such individuals so that they can become productive members of their communities.
Under the E-Clip, former rebels will receive financial support in the form of immediate livelihood and reintegration assistance, and firearms remuneration depending on the surrendered firearms, among others.
Additionally, the senator and his team gave relief items, such as grocery packs, vitamins, masks, meals, umbrellas and shirts to all beneficiaries. Meanwhile, Go likewise gave bicycles, cellular phones, shoes, watches, and balls for basketball and volleyball to select recipients.
In line with his advocacy to encourage more Filipinos to engage more in sports, Go proceeded to witness the Governor Ben Evardone Cup Eastern Samar Basketball and Volleyball League at the provincial gymnasium.
“As chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, my advocacy is sports — I want to keep the youth away from illegal drugs. I want to continue the campaign of former president (Rodrigo) Duterte against illegal drugs by encouraging the youth to get into sports. I am appealing to our youth to get into sports, stay away from drugs,” Go said.
The senator also urged those with underlying health conditions to visit the Malasakit Center at Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital in the city should they need medical assistance from the government.
Designed to be a one-stop shop for poor and indigent patients, the Malasakit Center puts together concerned agencies, such as the DSWD, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office under one roof to provide convenient access to their medical assistance programs to significantly lower patients’ hospital expenses.
To date, there are 152 Malasakit Centers that have helped millions of Filipinos nationwide. Go is the principal author and sponsor of the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019.
He likewise supported the construction of a Super Health center in Dolores which will offer basic health services, such as database management, outpatient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray and 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.
The senator cited that the government aims to construct 307 Super Health Centers in the Philippines this year.