Bong Go sends aid to Nueva Ecija residents

THE Office of Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), provided aid to struggling residents in Cuyapo, Licab, and Talugtug, Nueva Ecija on Tuesday, January 25, whose lives and livelihoods were adversely affected by the global health crisis.

In a video message, Go appealed to eligible residents to participate in the national inoculation drive and get complete shots against Covid-19 to ensure themselves, their families and communities are safeguarded from the virus.

“Tuluy-tuloy naman po ang pagbabakuna ng gobyerno kaya naman nakikiusap po ako na magpabakuna na po kayo. Ang iniiwasan natin ay bumagsak ang ating health care system, ‘yung napupuno po ‘yung mga hospital. Magtulungan ho tayo (The vaccination program of the government is continuing and I am appealing to you to have your vaccine. What we are avoiding is the collapse of our health care system. Let us help each other),” said Go.

“Magtiwala ho kayo sa gobyerno, magtiwala ho kayo sa bakuna. Ang bakuna po ang tanging susi o solusyon sa ngayon para makamtan po natin ang population protection at herd immunity (Trust the government, trust the vaccine. The vaccine is the only key or solution for us to achieve the population protection and herd immunity),” he added.

Go also urged the public to help the government to encourage others to get vaccinated, citing the need to raise awareness in order to fully address vaccine hesitancy.

Conducted at the respective municipal gyms of Licab and Talugtug, and Umaling in Cuyapo, Go’s staff distributed meals and masks to a total of 187 displaced workers. They also provided computer tablets, new shoes and bicycles to select recipients.

In addition, a team from the DSWD provided necessary livelihood grants through its Sustainable Livelihood Program to further give displaced workers opportunities to start businesses.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, the senator reminded the public to remain focused on health while providing for their families amid the pandemic.

To further help residents avail medical care or assistance from the government, he advised them to reach out to his office or visit any of the three Malasakit Centers in the province located at Eduardo L. Joson Memorial Hospital and Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center (PJGMRMC), both in Cabanatuan City, and Talavera General Hospital in Talavera.

The Malasakit Center is a onestop shop which streamlines the provision of medical assistance by bringing the relevant government agencies under one roof, namely the DSWD, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

In the end, Go, who is also an adopted son of Nueva Ecija, gave recognition to the respective local officials of each municipality for their efforts in making certain that their constituents are well-supported during crisis situations.

As vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go has supported several projects to promote the development of infrastructure and public service delivery in the province, including the construction of the Barangay San Agustin, Santo Domingo to Barangay Pag-asa, Talavera Road with bridge; construction of the Barangay Dolores, Santo Domingo to Barangay San Carlos, Aliaga Road with bridge; and rehabilitation and improvement of the Central Luzon State University road networks.

He also supported the rehabilitation of roads in Cabiao, General Tinio, Pantabangan, Zaragoza and Cabanatuan City; construction of flood mitigation structures in General Tinio, Quezon, San Antonio and Zaragoza; construction of multipurpose buildings in Gabaldon, Sta. Rosa and Cabanatuan City; completion of the PJGMRMC in Cabanatuan City; reconstruction of the Llanera public market; rehabilitation of the Baloc public market; and installation of streetlights in Zaragoza.