Senator Go gives aid to Cebu fire victims

CEBU, Philippines —  The Office of Senator Bong Go has extended assistance to fire victims of the cities of Cebu, Danao, and Lapu-Lapu City as well as the town of Consolacion in a recently concluded three-day relief operations.

Last Wednesday, 34 families or 122 individuals from Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City whose homes were reduced into ashes last February 4, and two families or 11 individuals from Barangay Garing, Consolacion, Cebu whose homes were destroyed last January 18 received assistance from the senator.

On February 16, 10 families or 49 individuals who were victimized from the fire in Barangay Tuburan Sur in Danao City also received assistance from the legislator. Two persons, who are cousins, perished in that fire.

The following day, the victims of the fire that hit Barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City last February 22 left 32 families homeless while eight families were affected in a fire that hit Barangay Talamban, Cebu City on February 13.

“Mga kaigsuonan ko, magtinabangay lang ta. Walay laing magtinabangay kung dili kita ra gihapong mga Pilipino. Bisag asa mo dapita sudlon tamo para lang naa koy matabang panahon sa inyong kalisud," said Go in a video message.

The assistance given to the fire victims include grocery packs, snacks, vitamins, facemask, new clothing, basketball, volleyball, among others.

Other beneficiaries also won shoes, cellphones, watches and bicycles in a raffle.

The fire victims likewise received financial assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development-7.

Meanwhile, Go, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, has co-sponsored a measure establishing the Philippine Center for Disease Control and Prevention in an effort to ensure that the healthcare system is better prepared to respond to possible future public health crises.

In his co-sponsorship speech on Senate Bill No. 1869 under Committee Report No. 28, Go, who also co-authored the proposed measure, noted that aside from capacitating health facilities, the country needs a sole agency “focused on the prevention and containment of infectious diseases in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The senator added that the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease sparked the need to have a more comprehensive, proactive approach and multi-disciplinary preparedness for the emergence and re-emergence of epidemics and pandemics.

With the establishment of CDC, Go added he is confident that the government will be better prepared to deal with any public health emergency in the future. GAN (FREEMAN)