Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said it would be a great honor to die in the line of duty as he talked about a potentially fatal experience over the weekend while he and his team were traveling to Isabela City in Basilan to launch the country’s 135th Malasakit Center.

In a recent radio interview, Go described how the helicopter transporting them developed engine problems and that the quick actions of the pilot saved their lives.

“Galing po ako ng Zamboanga, papunta po ako sa pagbubukas ng pang 135th na Malasakit Center doon po sa Basilan Medical Center, pinuntahan ko po mismo. Noong galing ho kami sa may dagat, galing Zamboanga, napansin ko na po na medyo mabilis…about 400 feet habang pababa, napakabilis po ng pagbaba ng helicopter. Pagbaba, nakayuko talaga siya at parang nag-bounce ng dalawang beses, tumabingi na,” Go recounted.

“Akala ko po katapusan ko na….First time po ako nakasakay ng ganon, parati naman akong nakakasakay (ng chopper) pero first time po ako nakasakay ng ganon na dire-diretso talaga ang pagbaba. Napakabilis tapos iba yung tunog ng makina. ‘Yun pala’y, nung tinanong ko ang piloto, parang tailwind, tinutulak ‘yung chopper pababa. Napapansin ko na parang wala ng kontrol. Sa awa ng Diyos ay naligtas naman kami.

“Naniniwala ako sa kasabihan na kahit saan ka magtago o magpunta, kung kukunin ka na ng Panginoon ay kukunin ka talaga. Pero kung hindi mo pa panahon ay hindi mo pa panahon,” he added.

The Senator said he did not fully grasp what had happened until much later. The launch of the Malasakit Center, the first in the province, was a success and Go took the incident as a sign that he still has much work to do for the country especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Naramdaman ko lang (kung gaano kadelikado ng nangyari) nung nakita ko na sa CCTV na ganun pala ang nangyari…. Bilang public servant, isang karangalan sa akin na mamatay na nagsisilbi para sa ating mga kababayan. Naniniwala ako na Diyos lang nakakaalam ng (mangyayari sa) ating buhay. Siguro marami pa tayong pwedeng matulungan kaya hindi ako titigil sa pagseserbisyo,” he continued.

“Matapos binuksan namin (ang Malasakit Center) sa Basilan ay sumakay na lang ako ng barko. Binuksan namin ang pang 136th na Malasakit Center sa Labuan (General Hospital) sa Zamboanga City. Pangatlong center na ito dahil malaki ang Zamboanga City,” shared Go.

As part of his longstanding commitment to ensure Filipinos can conveniently access healthcare services, the Senator principally authored and sponsored a measure in 2019 that became Republic Act No. 11463 which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program.

The law streamlines the provision of medical assistance from the government by bringing together the relevant agencies under one roof, namely the Department of Health, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The primary aim of the program is to reduce a hospital bill balance to the lowest amount possible by covering various patient services and expenses, such as surgeries, laboratories and medicines through existing medical assistance programs. The program has benefitted more than two million poor and indigent patients so far since its launch.

“Mayroon na ring Malasakit Center sa Jolo at Tawi-Tawi na binuksan namin two years ago. Sa ZamBaSulTa, mayroon nang 10 na diyan. Sa Luzon, 75; Mindanao, 35; at sa Visayas, 26. So, tuloy-tuloy itong pagbubukas ng Malasakit Center sa buong Pilipinas,” assured Go.

The said act directs the establishment of a Malasakit Center at the Philippine General Hospital in Manila City and in all 73 hospitals administered or managed by the health department. Hospitals run by local government units and other public hospitals may also establish their own provided they can guarantee the sustainability of its operations.

The Malasakit Centers program is an important part of a wider effort by the Duterte Administration to bring government closer to the people and improve the delivery of public health services to those in need, especially amid the ongoing pandemic

“Ako naman, kung ano ang makakatulong sa ating mga kababayan ay ibigay natin dapat ito sa pamamagitan ng serbisyong mabilis. Huwag natin pahirapan pa sila,” said the Senator.

“Hindi ko sasayangin ang oras na mayroon ako. Importante malampasan muna natin itong krisis na ating kinakaharap. Gaya ng palagi kong sinasabi sa mga kababayan natin, magbayanihan at magmalasakit tayo sa ating kapwa Pilipino. Hindi kami titigil ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa aming pagseserbisyo sa abot ng aming makakaya,” he reassured.