'Malasakit centers refuge for poor'

SEN. Christopher «Bong» Go on Monday described the Malasakit Centers as a «testament» to the government's commitment to make healthcare programs accessible to Filipinos.

The senator is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act (RA) 11463, or the «Malasakit Centers Act of 2019,» which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program. He said that 159 Malasakit Centers are now operational.

«Just go to the Malasakit Center because that is for you,» he said in a statement in Filipino. «If you have a hospital bill, the government agencies are there to help you settle these amounts.»

The Department of Health (DoH) said the Malasakit Centers already helped over 7 million Filipinos. He said each center is strategically located in select public hospitals to provide medical assistance for the local population's healthcare needs, particularly those less privileged.

Go said that the Malasakit Center has emerged as a «refuge» for Filipinos in distress, such as Diana Grace Dimaano Bagonoc, a 31-year-old former Special Education teacher from Sampaloc, Manila, with chronic kidney disease.

The senator said that Bagonoc's ordeal underscored his goal to alleviate the healthcare and financial burdens many citizens bear through the establishment of Malasakit Centers nationwide.

Malasakit Centers bring together representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Health Insurance Corp., Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, and DoH. These one-stop shops provide substantial support to economically disadvantaged patients to significantly alleviate their hospital expenses through the collaborative efforts of agencies with medical assistance programs placed under one roof.