SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go attended the virtual launch of the country’s 79th Malasakit Center on Thursday at the Laguna Medical Center in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

The Malasakit Center is the 40th in Luzon and sixth in Calabarzon Region (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon)

“This is for all Filipinos especially the poor and some of the vulnerable sectors that need help for medication. They’re the priority when it comes to government service,” Go said.

Malasakit Centers are one-stop shops that host concerned government agencies with programs that provide financial and medical assistance to Filipino patients, particularly the poor and indigent.

These agencies are the Department of Health (DoH), Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

With the enactment of Republic Act 11463, or the “Malasakit Center Act of 2019,” all hospitals run by the DoH all over the country and the Philippine General Hospital in Manila are mandated to establish their own Malasakit Centers.

Hospitals run by local government units and other public hospitals may also establish their own Malasakit Centers provided they meet a standard set of criteria and guarantee the availability of funds for the operation of their centers, including maintenance, personnel and staff training, among others.

“Go to the Malasakit Centers for your health care needs. This is your money. We are returning it to you by means of fast, proper and reliable service,” Go said.