Senator Christopher “Bong” Go praised President Rodrigo Duterte for his timely approval to release the funding needed to help boost capabilities of rural health facilities for them to be able to address the healthcare needs of communities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) of the Department of Health, the approved funds, which amount to PhP 5 million, shall be used to finance infrastructure needed by various barangay health stations and a local government unit hospital.

Three million pesos of the approved funds will used to expand facilities in the Loreto District Hospital in Loreto, Dinagat Islands. The remaining PhP2 million will be distributed to the health stations in Barangay Curva in Pamplona, Cagayan, Brgy. San Antonio in Basco, Batanes and Brgy. Panatayan in Mahatao, Batanes.

“COVID-19 has considerably hampered development. Now, more than ever, the need to invest in healthcare is highlighted. We must be pro-active and improve services especially in far-flung communities needing quality health care,” began Go, who is currently Chair of the Senate Committee on Health.

“Ayaw na natin maulit na darating tayo sa punto na wala nang kama na available para sa may sakit. Dapat ay laging handa ang ating mga pampublikong ospital na magserbisyo sa mga pasyente lalo na sa mga komunidad na malayo sa syudad,” he stressed.

The HFEP of the DOH has three main objectives: (1) to improve primary health facilities and the delivery of preventive healthcare services in rural areas; (2) to improve the quality of LGU-run hospitals; and (3) to upgrade DOH-run hospitals and other health facilities so they can offer quality tertiary care and specialized treatments in their communities.

To ensure the country can withstand the ongoing pandemic and build resilience against future health crises, the Senator recently successfully pushed for the passage of 13 measures in the Senate which seek to expand the capacities and upgrade the capabilities of various public hospitals.

The hospitals include the Bacolod City General Hospital in Bacolod City; Neptali Gonzales General Hospital in Mandaluyong City; East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City; Naguilian District Hospital and Rosario District Hospital in La Union; Sinait District Hospital in Ilocos Sur; Davao Occidental General Hospital in Malita, Davao Occidental; First Misamis Oriental General Hospital in Medina, Misamis Oriental; Hilarion A. Ramiro Sr. Medical Center in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental; a lying-in clinic in Rizal, Palawan; Conrado F. Estrella Regional Medical and Trauma Center in Rosales, Pangasinan; and Governor Benjamin T. Romualdez General Hospital and Schistosomiasis Center in Palo and Eastern Visayas Medical Center in Tacloban City, Leyte.

This is on top of the eleven other local hospital bills that was enacted into law earlier which he sponsored as Committee Chair on Health prior to the COVID-19 crisis.

Enacted into law in 2019, Go also authored and sponsored the Malasakit Centers Act which aims to make all existing government medical assistance programs more accessible by putting the concerned agencies under one roof. The agencies include the DOH, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

Under the act, all hospitals managed by the DOH and the Philippine General Hospital are mandated to open their own Malasakit Centers. Hospitals run by local government units and other public hospitals may also establish their own centers provided that they meet a standard set of criteria and guarantee the sustainability of its operations.

Go also championed the passage of other legislative measures such as RA 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One which he co-authored and co-sponsored. This provided resources to enhance government’s capabilities to better address the pandemic last year. He also co-authored and co-sponsored the measure that became RA 11525 or the COVID-19 Vaccination program.

As co-author and co-sponsor, he also supported the passage of RA 11509 or the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act which establishes a Medical Scholarship and Return Service (MSRS) program for deserving students in state universities and colleges (SUCs) or in partner private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in regions where no SUCs offer a medical course.

To improve the public health system and make the country more resilient to health crises, Go has filed relevant measures such as the Medical Reserve Corps bill, proposed amendments to the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases, Mandatory Quarantine Facilities bill, E-Health Systems and Services Bill, and bills creating the Virology Institute of the Philippines and the Philippine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

He also filed several measures to improve the delivery of healthcare services by the government, such as the Barangay Health Workers Act, Emergency Medical Services Systems Act, Advanced Nursing Education Act, Bill Expanding the Coverage of the Mandatory Basic Immunization Program and the Anti-Prank Callers Act which seeks to prohibit malicious and improper use of emergency hotlines, among others.