Go opens Malasakit Center in Basilan

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Bong Go reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improve access to quality and affordable health care especially in far-flung and underserved communities as he led the launch of the country’s 135th Malasakit Center in Basilan on Saturday.

The Malasakit Center at the Basilan General Hospital (BGH) in Isabela City is the first in the province and seventh in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Isabela City is administratively part of Zamboanga peninsula, while the rest of the province is under BARMM.

Go thanked the BGH staff and officials for their dedication as the nation battles the COVID pandemic.

He expressed hope the Malasakit Center would help the BGH provide more care in their community, particularly to indigents and other peoplewho cannot afford medical services.

Later in the day, Go personally attended the launch of another Malasakit Center at the Labuan General Hospital in Zamboanga City, where he also extended aid to market vendors and transport workers. This is the country’s 136th Malasakit Center.

The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop that brings under one roof government agencies that provide medical and financial help to the poor.

These agencies are the departments of health, and social welfare and development as well as the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The center intends to help reduce a patient’s hospital bill to the lowest possible amount by covering various services and expenses through the existing medical assistance programs.

Go authored and sponsored the bill that became Republic Act 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019.

He reminded residents to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of developing severe symptoms and being hospitalized, noting a majority of COVID and deaths are from the unvaccinated population.

Following the ceremony, the senator’s team distributed meals, food packs, vitamins, masks and face shields to 487 frontliners and 48 indigent patients.