Senator Christopher “Bong” Go joined President Rodrigo Duterte in an aerial inspection of Tropical Storm Agaton-hit communities in Pontevedra, Capiz on Black Saturday, April 16. The two also visited the storm victims temporarily housed at the Pontevedra Elementary School later that day.

“Buong gobyerno sa pamumuno ni Pangulong Duterte ay nandito para gampanan ang kanilang tungkulin at siguraduhing makabangong muli ang mga nasalanta,” Go assured.

Many communities in Capiz have experienced heavy floods due to the torrential rains brought by Agaton, particularly in low-lying areas that functioned as a catch basin for water from upland areas.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Saturday, 167 individuals have reportedly died, 110 are still missing, and eight have been injured as a result of Agaton.

Following the aerial assessment, Duterte and Go witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony of the Multipurpose Evacuation and Convention Center at Pueblo de Panay, which Go helped fund. They then went to the Pontevedra Elementary School Evacuation Center, where Go’s team handed out aid, such as food packs, masks, vitamins and t-shirts to the victims.

The President offered a message of hope to the victims during the visit, assuring them that the government is doing everything possible to help them recover quickly from the disaster.

Representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Agriculture were also present during the Presidential visit to provide assistance to typhoon victims.

DSWD and other concerned agencies will continue to conduct aid distribution activities in other typhoon-affected towns in the coming days. Go’s team has also committed to provide support during these relief efforts.

During the distribution, Go, as Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, encouraged those who are sick and injured to avail of medical assistance from the government that are conveniently available in the Malasakit Center at Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital (RMPH) in Roxas City.

“Ito pong Malasakit Center, batas na po ito na pinirmahan ni Pangulong (Rodrigo) Duterte. Itinaguyod po yan para po hindi na po mahirapan ang ating mga mamamayan na kumuha ng tulong medikal mula sa gobyerno,” explained Go, who is the principal author and sponsor of the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019.

As Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go also pushed for the allocation of funds for the construction of the new five-story RMPH building as well as the Multipurpose Evacuation and Convention Center in Barangay Lauan.

A day before, on Good Friday, Duterte and Go likewise conducted an aerial inspection of Baybay City and Abuyog town in Leyte to survey the extent of damage caused by the massive flooding and landslides triggered by Agaton. The two also distributed aid to the storm victims at the Western Leyte Provincial Hospital in Baybay City and Baybay City Senior High School.

“Ngayong Semana Santa, isama natin sa ating panalangin ang ating mga kababayang nangangailangan lalo na yung mga biktima ng krisis at sakuna. Tumulong at magserbisyo po tayo sa abot ng ating makakaya dahil ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo sa Diyos,” said Go.

Despite the notable efforts of the government to aid victims of natural disasters, Go recognized the need to further institutionalize the mechanisms necessary to ensure full recovery and rehabilitation while building back better.

He reiterated that in the long term, what the country truly needs to become disaster resilient is to establish a single department that will handle all these responsibilities.

“Kaya ako paulit-ulit na umaapela na ipasa na ang batas na magtatayo ng Department of Disaster Resilience. Ilang kalamidad at sakuna pa ba ang kailangan para maintindihan na kailangan na nating aksyunan ito upang mas palakasin pa ang mekanismong mayroon tayo ngayon?” he stressed.

Last 2019, Go filed Senate Bill No. 205, also known as the Department of Disaster Resilience Act of 2019. The measure aims to address the bureaucratic challenges that undermine the government’s ability to better respond and provide support to individuals affected by disasters. To do so, it establishes the Department of Disaster Resilience, a highly-specialized agency that will prepare against the devastating effects of climate change and ensure a more proactive approach to natural disasters.

The senator also stressed the urgent need to act on disaster resilience measures such as his SB 1228 or the “Mandatory Evacuation Center Act”, to ensure that victims of disasters will have temporary shelters that will guarantee their safety, promote their social well-being, and guard their welfare while they recover and rebuild their lives.

Due to the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters, Go said that passing these measures is even more critical, as the government must be more proactive in responding to such calamities.