After personally extending assistance to habagat-affected residents in Quezon City, Senator Bong Go proceeded to Calumpit, Bulacan after learning that residents there had been dealing with floodwaters for almost a month.
Calumpit is among the areas in Bulacan severely affected by the prolonged flooding due to habagat which has disrupted the daily lives and livelihoods of many families.
Upon learning about the situation, Go personally went to the municipality to check on the affected residents and see their conditions firsthand.
Before reaching the evacuation center, the veteran legislator also waded through the floodwaters to reach and check on residents who had been enduring the effects of the calamity. The seasoned lawmaker took time to speak with affected families, listen to their concerns, and see their situation firsthand.
“Mag-ingat po kayo. Mahal na mahal ko kayo dito sa Calumpit, Bulacan, mga kababayan ko. Tawagin niyo lang po akong kuya Bong Go ninyo,” the senator said.
Go emphasized that serving Filipinos is a responsibility he continues to fulfill regardless of the day.
“Holiday po ngayon pero para sa akin, wala pong holiday.”
“Kalahati ng buhay ko, puro trabaho po ang ginagawa ko. Holiday po ngayon pero para sa akin, wala pong holiday. Trabaho tayo araw-araw, lalung-lalo na po para sa mga kababayan nating nangangailangan ng tulong. Sa abot ng aking makakaya po, magseserbisyo po ako sa inyong lahat,” he added.
Held at F. Mendoza Memorial Elementary School in Calumpit, Go and his Malasakit Team gave food packs to a total of 400 flood-affected residents.
Beyond immediate relief, he continues to push for long-term measures that will strengthen communities’ capacity to prepare for and recover from disasters.
One of these is Republic Act No. 12076, or the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, which Go principally authored and co-sponsored. The measure mandates the establishment of permanent, disaster-resilient evacuation centers in cities and municipalities nationwide. These facilities are intended to provide displaced families with safe, accessible, and properly equipped shelters during calamities, reducing reliance on schools, gymnasiums, and other facilities not specifically designed for evacuation purposes.
He also noted that prolonged flooding can often lead to illnesses, making access to healthcare especially important for affected communities.
As Vice Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, Go emphasized the need to ensure that medical assistance remains accessible to Filipinos, particularly during disasters.
He is the principal author and sponsor of RA 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized Malasakit Centers as one-stop shops that help indigent and financially incapacitated patients access medical and financial assistance and reduce their hospital expenses.
There are currently 167 Malasakit Centers nationwide, including the Malasakit Centers at Bulacan Medical Center in Malolos City, Rogaciano M. Mercado Memorial Hospital in Sta. Maria, Ospital ng San Jose del Monte in San Jose del Monte City, and Joni Villanueva General Hospital in Bocaue.
Before proceeding to assist the habagat-affected residents, Go also stopped by a local siomai vendor who was still selling amid the continuous rain. He bought all of the vendor’s remaining siomai so that the vendor could already go home and stay safe from the inclement weather.
“Suportahan po natin ang sariling atin.”
“Suportahan po natin ang sariling atin,” Go said, encouraging Filipinos to patronize local vendors and small businesses.
“Bilang inyong Mr. Malasakit, patuloy akong magbabantay at tutulong sa abot ng aking makakaya. Anumang pagsubok ang harapin ng ating mga kababayan, hindi natin sila pababayaan,” he concluded.
