WE ARE certain that Davaoeno Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go is aiming high in the level of his public service. Every consistent observer can easily glean this by how he comports himself in performing his duties as a legislator. This can also be observed from his choice of issues of national significance and of importance to the masses with which to react. And he has chosen to espouse and implement a program that endears him to the millions of disadvantaged Filipinos – the institutionalization of the Malasakit Centers in various parts of the country.
Everybody is well aware of the fact that when one is hit with health infirmities, the major problem that he or she has to confront is the lack or even absence of money to pay for hospitalization and other related expenses. Senator Go, perhaps learning from his experience when he was man Friday of then Davao City Mayor and former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, replicated the Davao-originated hospitalization aid program at the national level.
Today, in almost every major city in the country, the Malasakit Centers are already operational. These are facilities where those hospitalized and with no one to turn to for help defray medicine and services expenses can approach for assistance. The operation of these centers is funded through the Senator’s initiative.
On the other hand, Go seems to know what issue of national significance to react to and when to open his mouth to give his reaction. One example is the controversial proposal of Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno to restructure the pension scheme for the men and women in the uniformed service.
His stand on the issue is to retain the present system and that if the men in uniform contribute to the fund build-up for the pension, it should only apply to new entrants, which was widely acceptable to those who stand to be affected.
And for now, Senator Go is the most visible among the lawmakers in places where the presence of government officials is most appreciated, like in areas hit with disasters like fire, flood, and typhoons.
Without a doubt, these things that the senator from Davao City is currently doing are political investments that will surely earn the greater majority of the Filipinos’ appreciation. Thus, when the right time comes, Bong Go will surely have his “return on investment.”
But of course, we know that it will not be for the immediate. He will surely not attempt to go against sure Presidential candidate in 2025, Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of his mentor. Go would probably not even consider running for Vice President as the VP’s tandem. It would not look good for an all-Davao team-up.
The senator, of course, is young, and he has many more years ahead of him as a public servant. Therefore, he can look forward to the election in 2031.
Meanwhile, Go can continue to level up his services as a senator and pursue his populist programs and projects. And he must be extremely cautious in all dealing he will do while in office because any wrong decision made will surely destroy the foundation he has painstakingly started building for his political career.
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We would like to extend our appreciation to the men and women of the Davao City Health Office (CHO) for their whole-hearted efforts to implement in the city the Health Department’s program to vaccinate children against diseases usually prevalent in their young age like rubella, dengue, pneumonia, and others.
Yes, several CHO teams are now fielded in the barangays, even in the remotest of areas in the second and third districts. The teams have even utilized the barangay health workers (BHW) to personally disseminate the information on vaccination schedules. Some BHWs even go to the extent of making house-to-house visits to inform parents and convince those hesitant ones to bring their children to the barangay health centers for immunization.
Yes, many may not notice these sacrifices of the CHO medical teams. But having personally observed their work, their traveling to places quite far from their stations on board “habal-habals” or single motorbikes are activities that should not be left unrecognized.
Keep up the good work. After all, you are helping mold healthy lives of the “hope of our fatherland,” today’s children.
