STEADFAST in his commitment to giving far-flung communities a boost amid the pandemic, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go continued providing assistance to the residents of the Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte, on Tuesday, May 24.

In his video message played during the distribution activities in Barangay Bandera, Adecor, and Sion, Go expressed his admiration for the island and pledged to continue supporting its development to ensure that more opportunities are available for its residents.

He encouraged the residents to stay vigilant against Covid-19 and to keep on cooperating with the government for Samal Island to fully recover from the challenges brought by the global health crisis.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, Go also appealed to the eligible beneficiaries to participate in the national inoculation program to better protect themselves and their respective communities, stressing that the government worked hard just to secure sufficient vaccines for the Filipino people.

“Tuluy-tuloy po ang vaccine rollout natin. Pakiusap lang ho namin ni Pangulong (Rodrigo) Duterte, ‘pag nasa priority list na ho kayo, magpabakuna na ho kayo. Libre naman po ito mga kababayan ko, para po ito sa kapakanan ng bawat Pilipino (The vaccine rollout will continue. With President Duterte, we are appealing to you to have yourselves inoculated. This is given for free, this is for the welfare for every Filipino),” Go appealed.

Held at the respective village gymnasiums, the senator’s team provided grocery packs, vitamins, masks, snacks, and shirts to 1,438 residents composed of solo parents, fisherfolk and members of other sectors.

Select individuals also received shoes and bicycles while others were given computer tablets to help their children access educational materials.

As part of government efforts to support more struggling sectors adversely affected by the pandemic, the Department of Social Welfare and Development also extended financial aid.

Go then offered additional assistance to those with health concerns. He also reminded them that they may visit the Malasakit Centers located in nearby Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City or Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City should they need help with their medical expenses.

The Malasakit Center is a one-stop-shop that is designed to help particularly poor and indigent patients reduce their hospital expenses to the lowest amount possible. There are now 151 Malasakit Centers nationwide.

To further promote the island’s growth and economic development, Go, in his capacity as vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, likewise supported the construction of a water system, roads, and multipurpose buildings as well as the acquisition of an ambulance in the city.

Other initiatives he supported in the province are the rechanneling of a river, construction of a river wall, and concreting of the Sitio Bunsalag to Sitio Misulok-Sulok road in Talaingod; construction of a concrete revetment along the Tagum-Libuganon River Basin and dike along the Sadpudon Creek in Carmen; construction of multipurpose buildings in Kapalong and New Corella; and renovation of the public terminal, public parks and plaza in New Corella.

On May 20, Go also sent similar assistance to residents in Barangay Peñaplata, Tagdaliao and Catagman.