MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Bong Go, father of the Malasakit Centers program, attended the inauguration of the 164th Malasakit Center at the Soccsksargen General Hospital in Surallah, South Cotabato on Thursday.
The event marked another milestone in a nationwide effort to streamline medical assistance, especially for underprivileged Filipinos. There are also Malasakit Centers at the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital in Koronadal City and Dr. Jorge P. Royeca Hospital in General Santos City.
Go said there are now 43 Malasakit Centers in Mindanao, 91 in Luzon and 30 in the Visayas.
The Malasakit Centers program, which Go initiated in 2018, was designed to reduce the burden of patients by consolidating the medical assistance programs of various government agencies under one roof. These are the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
The program was institutionalized under Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act, which Go principally sponsored and authored in 2019.
The program has assisted more than 10 million Filipinos.
Go said the establishment of the Malasakit Center is a continuation of the government’s efforts to provide easy access to medical assistance for residents of South Cotabato and other parts of Mindanao.
During his visit, Go distributed rice packs to hospital workers and patients and grocery packs to barangay health workers. Select recipients got shirts, bicycles, shoes and balls for basketball and volleyball.
Some patients received financial assistance from the government.