Malasakit Center launch at Bicol hospital

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go has attended the launching of the Malasakit Center at the Bicol Medical Center in Naga City, the second to serve needy and indigent Bicolano patients and the 39th overall in the country.

In his speech last Saturday, Go gave assurance that the Malasakit Center—a one-stop shop for indigent and poor patients seeking financial assistance—would not be the last in Bicol as he is also facilitating the opening of similar facilities in Camarines Norte, Sorsogon and Masbate as well as in other parts of the country.

The first one opened at the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital in Legazpi City, Albay on Oct. 14, 2018.

The event was led by Secretary Michael Lloyd Diño of the Office of Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV), a partner of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP) in starting the Malasakit Center initiative when Go was still with the executive branch.

With the center already operational, patients only need to fill out one form to avail themselves of medical assistance from various government agencies.

It aims to eradicate the need for indigent patients to go from one agency to another to seek help.

These agencies include the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, PhilHealth, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

Go also vowed to institutionalize these centers through his proposed Senate Bill No. 199, also known as the Malasakit Center Act of 2019, so that their operations will continue even beyond the Duterte administration.

“Napakarami nang natulungan ang Malasakit Center; kaya ngayong senador na ako, isinusulong ko na ma-institutionalize ito (The Malasakit Center has helped many people; so, now that I am senator, I will push its institutionalization),” Go said in an ambush interview.

He added that the measure is needed to provide more funds to the center and to allow it to continue operating beyond the term of President Duterte, which will end in 2022.

Go, a former special assistant to the President, is also pushing Senate Bill No. 200, which seeks to promote the welfare of health care professionals in the country through increased salary to encourage them to provide better services to fellow Filipinos.

Some of the other proposed bills that he shared with the residents of Naga City include measures to amend the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 with the goal of improving nursing education in the country (SB 395) and the Barangay Health Workers Act of 2019 to ensure that each barangay will have enough BHWs serving the community (SB 392).

Aside from these, Go wanted to expand the coverage of the Mandatory Basic Immunization Program through Senate Bill 398 and to institutionalize an emergency medical services system nationwide through Senate Bill 394.

The emergency medical services system will be patterned after the Central 911 system of Davao City.

He is also pushing for the prohibition of malicious and improper use of telecommunications devices on emergency hotlines by prohibiting and penalizing prank calls at any time (SB 400) and the creation of an executive department for disaster resilience to prevent deaths and injuries from calamities (SB 205).

In ending his speech, Go sought everyone’s support for the last three years of Duterte in office and his six years in the Senate.

“The President still has three years left in his term, and my six years in the Senate has just begun. Let us all work together and continue serving the people with integrity and compassion. Let us continue the positive change for the betterment of our country and the future generations of Filipinos,” the senator urged, drawing applause from the crowd.