Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, a member of the Senate Committee on Local Government, called on local officials from Masbate to ensure that public service remains people-centered as he addressed the 2025 Good Governance Summit of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) Masbate Chapter on Friday, February 21.
Speaking before 130 local officials—including a mayor, vice mayors, and councilors—at the Prince Hotel in Manila, Senator Go stressed that governance should be grounded in direct engagement with the public, not just in policy-making behind closed doors.
“Kanina may lumapit po sa akin, nagpapasalamat sa mga tulong sa Malasakit. Isa lang po ang masasabi ko—huwag po kayo magpasalamat sa akin. Ako po ang dapat magpasalamat sa inyo dahil binigyan n’yo po ako ng pagkakataon na makapagserbisyo sa inyo. Maraming-maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat,” he said.
Go also checked on the well-being of Masbate residents following the magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck the province on February 15, as well as the magnitude 4.6 tremor that hit earlier today.
“Kumusta po kayo? Sana po walang nasaktan,” he said, before highlighting the necessity of having dedicated evacuation centers in every municipality and city.
“Gusto ko lang pong ibalita sa inyo na ako po ay principal author na nagsulong at co-sponsor ng Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act na magtatayo ng evacuation center sa bawat munisipyo at bawat siyudad para meron pong komportableng matutuluyan ang apektado ng sakuna. Halimbawa, ‘pag may sunog, ‘pag may baha, ‘pag may lindol, ‘pag pumutok ang bulkan.”
He emphasized that many Filipinos currently have no choice but to use makeshift evacuation centers.
“Alam n’yo, wala pong komportableng evacuation center ang ating mga kababayan. Minsan, nagagamit ‘yung mga covered court. Minsan, nagagamit ‘yung mga eskwelahan. Nagagambala pa ‘yung pag-aaral ng mga bata,” he pointed out.
He then proudly announced that the measure he principally authored and co-sponsored—Republic Act No. 12076, or the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act—had been enacted to institutionalize the construction of proper evacuation centers nationwide.
“Proud po akong ibalita sa inyo, ito po, Republic Act 12076—ako po ay isa sa mga nagsulong para maisabatas ito. Finally, batas na po ito para tuloy-tuloy na mabigyan ng prayoridad ang pagtatayo ng evacuation centers sa mga siyudad at munisipyo, kasama na po d’yan sa inyo sa Masbate, mga kababayan ko,” he declared.
As a staunch advocate of disaster resilience, Go renewed his push for the establishment of the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) through his filed Senate Bill No. 188 if enacted into law. The proposed department aims to centralize and streamline disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts across the country.
Meanwhile, as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Go also reported on his legislative work in strengthening the country’s healthcare system.
“Bilang chairman po ng Committee on Health sa Senado, gusto ko lang pong mag-report sa inyo kung ano na pong nagawa natin sa ating trabaho,” he said, before listing his contributions.
“Bilang inyong senador, I authored 16 laws, I principally sponsored 82 laws, including 80 laws for the establishment and upgrade of public hospitals. I co-authored and co-sponsored 185 laws,” he noted.
Go highlighted three priority initiatives under his healthcare advocacy: “Una, Malasakit Center. Pangalawa, Super Health Center. Pangatlo, Regional Specialty Center.”
He reminded Masbate officials that their province already has a Malasakit Center at Masbate Provincial Hospital in Masbate City.
“Meron na po tayong 167 Malasakit Centers sa buong Pilipinas, kasama na po riyan sa Masbate Provincial Hospital. ‘Di ba po, meron na kayong Malasakit Center d’yan? 2021 pa po ito nabuksan,” he shared.
“Kung meron po kayong mga pasyente na hindi kayang operahan sa Masbate, dalhin n’yo po rito. Ako na ang tutulong sa abot ng aking makakaya, pati pamasahe ng inyong pasyente hanggang makauwi sa Masbate,” he said. “Tabangan natin sila. Lalung lalo na po ‘yung mga pasyente na walang-wala. Takot pa pong magpaospital dahil sa kahirapan. ‘Yan po, unahin natin. Tulungan po natin sila, mga kababayan ko.”
Malasakit Centers are one-stop shops aiming to support impoverished patients in reducing their hospital costs to the least possible amount. The Department of Health (DOH) reports that the Malasakit Center program has already provided aid to more than 17 million Filipinos.
Meanwhile, Super Health Centers are designed to focus on primary care, consultation, and early detection, further strengthening the healthcare sector in the country, especially in grassroots communities.
Through the concerted efforts of Senator Go, fellow lawmakers, the DOH led by Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa, and local government units, adequate funding was allocated for establishing more than 700 Super Health Centers nationwide.
Finally, Senator Go principally sponsored and is one of the authors of RA 11959, also known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act. The law mandates the establishment of regional specialty centers within existing DOH regional hospitals.
Senator Go personally acknowledged the presence of Masbate’s key officials, expressing appreciation for their dedication to public service. He recognized Governor Antonio Kho, Vice Governor Elsa Olga Kho, First District Representative Richard Kho, Second District Representative Ara Kho, and Third District Representative Wilton Kho, along with other provincial and municipal officials.
He also expressed his gratitude to the officers of the PCL Masbate Chapter including Board Member Rani Laurian Sia (president); Councilor Jonalyn Rana (vice president); Councilor Cicero Conag (general secretary); Councilor Karen Ballesteros (treasurer); Councilor Raymond Ivan Diamos (auditor); Councilor Ralph Sese (public relations officer); and Councilor Alona Pillejera (business manager) for their leadership in uniting local legislators for the betterment of Masbate.
Senator Go closed his speech by reaffirming his dedication to assisting local governments and ensuring national programs benefit Filipinos in the grassroots.
“Asahan n’yo po, nandito lang ako, isang tawag lang, isang text lang,” he assured the officials. “Basta para sa kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan, lagi akong handang tumulong.”
