Bong Go vows to champion farmers’ welfare through legislation

AGUSAN DEL SUR, Philippines—Administration-backed senatorial aspirant and former Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher “Bong” Go has vowed to push for measures which seek to improve the plight of farmers in the Philippines.

Go made the promise on Tuesday during his visit at the town of Prosperidad in Agusan Del Sur as a guest of honor in the 1st Upland Sustainable Agri-Forestry Development (USAD) Farmers’ Market Day and Sharing of Best Practices event held at the Datu Lipus Makapandong Cultural Center.

“Isa sila sa nagbibigay sa atin ng pagkain kaya malaki ang dapat na ibibigay nating tulong sa mga magsasaka. Talagang mahalaga sila sa bansa,” Go said.

Go noted that measures to improve the accessibility of fertilizers and new farming equipment, as well as proper funding for the pension of farmers and scholarship of farmer’s children, must be created to ease farmers’ conditions.

“Itong abono, itong mga bagong makinarya, itong pension plan sa mga farmers, itong scholarship sa kanilang mga anak, at marami pang iba ay mahalagang tugunan dahil alam ko na ang mga ito ay iilan sa mga pinaka-priority ng mga farmers natin,” Go said.

“Balak ko pong suportahan ang ating mga magsasaka sa pamamagitan ng mga programa para sa abono, makinarya, irigasyon, at mga pondong pangpuhunan. Dapat rin po maging moderno na ang mga gamit nila para di na sila nagigipit sa pag-produce ng pagkain, lalong-lalo na po ngayon na very advanced na ang agricultural techonologies na available,” he added.

The former long-time aide of President Duterte also took time to discuss with the audience the Malasakit Center program.

The Malasakit Center, a program of the Duterte administration, is a one-stop shop where DOH, PCSO, DSWD, PhilHealth, and other relevant government satellite offices are housed together in one location to ease the process for patients in need of speedy medical and financial assistance.

Go said he aims to put the Malasakit Center program into legislation so that each provincial and urban area can have a center of its own to cater to the medical and financial needs of local patients.