On Sunday, October 30, Go sent his team to deliver assistance to typhoon victims in Datu Odin Sinsuat and Parang in Maguindanao del Norte, and Datu Abdullah Sangki and Ampatuan in Maguindanao del Sur.
“I also wish to express my sympathies to those who have lost their loved ones due to the calamity. Rest assured that we will do our part, to the best of our abilities, to provide support and help affected communities recover,” Go said.
“I am continuously coordinating with our national agencies on ground and concerned local government units to assist them in every way we can. Our teams are on their way to other affected areas to help in the relief operations,” he assured.
To efficiently cater to 1,200 typhoon victims, Go’s team held the distribution activities at respective covered courts of Barangays Poblacion and Kaya Kaya in Ampatuan and Datu Abdullah Sangki, respectively; Parang Municipal Gymnasium; and Broce Elementary School in Datu Odin Sinsuat.
Through the help of Maguindanao del Norte Rep. Bai Dimple Mastura and Sultan Kudarat town Vice Mayor Shameem Mastura, Go’s team then distributed grocery and food packs, shirts as well as umbrellas and basketballs to select recipients.
Go likewise encouraged the beneficiaries to cooperate with the government’s recovery and rehabilitation efforts as he reassured them that he will continue bringing necessary support to calamity victims as much as he could.
“Tulad ng dati, sa abot po ng aking makakaya, asahan niyo na ako ay tutulong sa lahat ng naapektuhan ng bagyo. Naiintindihan ko kung gaano kahirap mawalan ng tirahan at mga gamit. Pero huwag kayong mawawalan ng pagasa mga kababayan ko dahil andito lang kami na handang tumulong sa inyo,” reassured Go.
Meanwhile, Go has renewed his call for the passage of his Senate Bill No. 188 which shall establish the Department of Disaster Resilience. The proposed department will be a highly specialized agency with a cabinet level secretary that will be tasked with ensuring adaptive, disaster-resilient and safe communities.
“Alam naman po natin na napakadalas pong tamaan ng bagyo ang ating bansa. Hindi lamang po bagyo pati na rin po lindol, pagputok ng bulkan, at iba pang kalamidad. Kaya kailangan po talaga natin i-step up ang ating paghahanda laban sa mga nasabing kalamidad,” cited Go.
“Bago pa dumating ang bagyo, mayroon na dapat in charge na makikipag-coordinate sa LGUs, preposition of goods at ilikas po ang mga kababayan natin sa ligtas na lugar. At pag-alis ng bagyo, restoration of normalcy kaagad, maibalik kaagad sa normal ang pamumuhay ng mga kababayan natin. ‘Yan po ang layunin ng Department of Disaster Resilience,” he explained.
The DDR shall unify and streamline all responsibilities related to disaster preparedness and response, functions that are presently scattered across various departments and offices.
“The extent of devastation caused by typhoon Paeng and recent calamities makes our call to establish the Department of Disaster Resilience and to build mandatory evacuation centers in every town, city and province more relevant than ever,” Go said.
Go was referring also to his Senate Bill No. 193 which shall mandate the establishment of safe and clean evacuation centers in every city, province and municipality nationwide.
In line with ensuring Filipinos’ well-being, Go further offered medical assistance to those with health concerns as he urged them to get medical aid from any of the Malasakit Centers located at Maguindanao Provincial Hospital in Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao del Sur, Cotabato Sanitarium in Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao del Norte, and Cotabato Regional and Medical Center in Cotabato City.
With now 152 operational centers nationwide, the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 is one of the many measures that Go filed to help particularly poor and indigent Filipinos access medical assistance programs by the government.
“Mga kababayan ko, magtulungan lang po tayo. Ipagpatuloy lang po natin ang pagbabayanihan dahil ito po ang ating kinakailangan sa ngayon. Hindi po kayo pababayaan ng gobyerno at sabay-sabay po tayo aahon mula sa pandemya at sa lahat ng krisis na ito,” reassured Go.
On October 19, Go’s outreach team also visited Parang and assisted 26 tropical storm victims.
“As we commiserate with those who have lost lives, let us do our best to ensure we can save more lives now and protect more lives in the future,” he ended. (PR)