Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, an adopted son of Calabarzon Region, directed his team to provide assistance to 30 fire-hit residents in Barangay Primera Pulo, Lumban, Laguna on Thursday, September 21.
Go’s team, in coordination with the local government officials, distributed financial assistance, grocery packs, snacks, clean drinking water, and shirts to all affected families at the barangay hall of Barangay Primera Pulo.
Meanwhile, a team from the National Housing Authority (NHA) assessed affected households for possible housing assistance to help the families rebuild from the devastating effects of the fire.
“Yung mga mag-qualify ay maaaring mabigyan ng National Housing Authority ng ayuda pambili ng housing materials tulad ng pako, yero at iba pa upang maisaayos muli ang kanilang mga tirahan,” Go said.
The mood was clearly one of gratitude as local leaders and community members openly thanked Go for his personal assistance.
Lumban Councilor Saan Añonuevo spoke with a sense of urgency and praised the senator’s efforts. “Napakalaking bagay po ng natutulong ni Senator Bong Go dito sa bayan ng Lumban,” she said. Añonuevo also pointed out that this was not the first time Go helped the community as he had also given cash assistance to the residents during the pandemic.
Councilor John Denver delos Reyes also expressed his respect for the senator, emphasizing the quality of his service. “Ako po personally, hindi ko kayang kalimutan ‘yung quality of service na ibinibigay sa atin ni Mr. Malasakit Kuya Bong Go,” he stated.
Barangay Chairman Reden Rivera summed up the community’s feelings, saying, “Ang sangguniang barangay ng Primera Pulo ay lubos na nagpapasalamat sa napakasipag at napakabait na senator na si Senator Bong Go,” he said.
Rivera noted that Go was the first senator to provide aid to the 16 households affected by the fire.
One of the fire victims, Ramilita Fesalbon, held back tears as she thanked the senator. “Kami po ay nagpapasalamat sa inyo, senator, sa pagtulong niyo sa aming lahat sa mga bagay na kailangan namin ngayon,” she said.
In order to proactively mitigate potential disasters caused by fire incidents, Go highlighted that the Bureau of Fire Protection is presently undergoing a modernization initiative aimed at bolstering its capacity to effectively address fire emergencies and disaster situations.
Under the provisions of Republic Act No. 11589, principally authored and co-sponsored by Go, the bureau is mandated to implement a decade-long modernization program. This comprehensive program includes procurement of state-of-the-art firefighting equipment, expansion of personnel, and delivery of specialized training to firefighters, among other enhancements.
“Modernizing the Bureau of Fire Protection is crucial for improving its ability to respond to emergencies and disasters. It is important that the government invest in the modernization of the BFP to ensure the safety and well-being of the Filipinos,” said Go.
