IN keeping with his commitment to help more vulnerable sectors severely hit by the ongoing pandemic, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go extended assistance to hundreds of displaced workers in Bambang, Aritao and Villaverde, Nueva Vizcaya from September 14 to 15.

Go’s outreach team held the distribution activities at the respective municipal gymnasiums where they handed out masks and snacks to 469 displaced workers. They also gave bicycles, cellular phones, shoes, and balls for basketball and volleyball to select individuals.

As part of the government efforts to support struggling sectors, representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also provided the displaced workers with livelihood assistance grants.

Meanwhile, the senator has filed several legislative measures to help the economic sector, such as the Rural Employment Assistance Program bill which shall provide temporary employment to qualified individuals who are poor, disadvantaged, displaced, or seasonal workers.

He also filed a bill which seeks to institutionalize the Department of Trade and Industry’s One Town, One Product (OTOP) program and Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery (Guide) Act.

OTOP is a government-run program providing assistance to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) promoting the commodities and products of Filipino towns, cities and regions.

The proposed Guide Act, on the other hand, aims to strengthen the capacity of government financial institutions to provide the needed financial assistance to MSMEs, and other strategically important companies.

The senator, as head of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, likewise offered to help those in need of hospital care. He encouraged them to visit the Malasakit Center at Region 2 Trauma and Medical Center in Bayombong, where they may conveniently avail of medical assistance from the government.

The Malasakit Center serves as a one-stop shop for the medical assistance programs of the DSWD, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and Philippine Charity Sweepstake Office.

There are now 152 Malasakit Centers established nationwide, which have assisted more than seven million poor Filipinos.

Go, who likewise serves as vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, supported several initiatives in the province. This includes the construction of a multipurpose building in Bayombong; road improvement in Ambaguio, Dupax del Norte and Kayapa; construction of multipurpose building in Bambang; construction of municipal building in Kayapa; construction of an evacuation center in Dupax del Sur; provision of potable water supply in Barangay Baliling and Bacneng in Sta. Fe; and acquisition of a dump truck and a multipurpose vehicle in Quezon town.

On September 9, the team of Go also provided assistance to indigents in Aritao and Bambang.