For Ren Alcaide, a staff member at Lyceum of the Philippines University – Batangas (LPU-Batangas), the past year has been a battle against both illness and financial hardship. Her husband, Ralph, was diagnosed with leukemia after initially suffering from aplastic anemia. Doctors recommended immediate chemotherapy to prevent the disease from worsening, but the cost of treatment placed an immense burden on their families.
“Last year po kasi may sakit na s’ya na aplastic anemia. Then parang medyo nag-progress po s’ya into leukemia. And then agad po, sabi ng doctor po, kailangan agad s’ya ma-chemotherapy para po hindi na po lumala pa ‘yung problem,” Ren shared.
Struggling with hospital expenses, she sought help through her workplace. A colleague directed her to Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, known for his health reforms crusade, whose office helps and guides constituents needing services such as medical assistance.
“Through ‘yung boss po namin… So agad naman po si Senator po agad ‘yung naisip n’ya na hingan ng tulong. S’ya po ‘yung lumapit po kay Senator Bong. And ‘yun po, agad naman po nagbigay po si Senator po sa amin ng tulong,” she said.
Ren received the support she needed from Senator Go’s office, ensuring medical assistance for her husband’s treatment at The Medical City in Pasig City. This helped them manage the overwhelming cost of chemotherapy and hospitalization.
On January 24, during LPU-Batangas’ Awards Convocation, Ren had the opportunity to personally thank Senator Go for his assistance.
Senator Go has long been at the forefront of efforts to make healthcare more accessible for Filipinos. One of his key initiatives is the Malasakit Centers program, which bridges the gap between patients and much-needed government assistance for their medical needs. By consolidating various government agencies under one roof, Malasakit Centers aim to reduce hospital costs for the most vulnerable sectors of society.
Malasakit Centers serve as one-stop shops to help impoverished patients minimize their medical expenses. Senator Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program.
As of now, 166 Malasakit Centers are operational across the country, assisting patients with their medical expenses. The Department of Health (DOH) reports that the program has already provided aid to more than 15 million Filipinos.
Ren, having experienced the firsthand challenges of securing medical assistance, emphasized the importance of expanding healthcare initiatives in the country.
“So bilang na-experience ko po ‘yon, na kulang po tayo sa programa po tungkol sa medical. Parang ang laking bagay po talaga kung lahat po ‘yon at kung madagdagan pa po lahat po ng Malasakit Centers, ‘yung mga facilities po at hospitals po, malaking bagay po talaga kung matutuloy, matutuloy po ‘yung lahat po ng plans po n’ya. Kasi ‘yun po, ang dami po nagkakasakit. So, sana po talaga maituloy pa po ‘yung lahat po ng projects po ni Senator,” Ren said.
On the part of Senator Go, he emphasized that his focus remains on bringing government services closer to Filipinos in need, saying: “huwag na dapat pahirapan ang mga naghihirap na. Ilapit natin ang serbisyong may malasakit sa mga nangangailangan.”
“Patuloy kaming magseserbisyo sa inyo dahil bisyo ko ang magserbisyo at ako ay naniniwala na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo ‘yan sa Panginoon, serbisyo ‘yan kay Allah,” underscored Go who is known for his compassionate service to Filipinos in need.
