Senator Christopher “Bong” Go reiterated the need for quick and fair distribution of assistance from the government, unhindered by politics, after the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
They entered into this new agreement to create a streamlined referral system whereby those who sought any legal assistance offered by the DOJ could at the same time get financial, medical, and psychosocial assistance from the DSWD.
Go is a strong advocate against politicizing government aid and insisting that assistance should be done in an open, speedy, and fair manner without political preferences.
While attending a Senate hearing for the DSWD for its 2025 budget, Go urged the agency to speed up the aid distribution and eliminate all administrative barriers that further delayed assistance to those in need, as he earlier criticized the slow validation of aid from the department that had kept aid from typhoon victims withheld for more than a year.
He further emphasized that aid programs of the government are funded by taxpayers; thus, they should not be distributed as political favors. He had earlier flagged weird, delayed payouts and inefficiencies of the validation process, which still affect the vulnerable Filipinos.
As Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, Go has been tirelessly working for mechanisms aimed at ensuring that aid reaches those who are most in need. His Malasakit Centers initiative, whose law is now institutionalized, stands as testimony to his advocacy of more-efficient social services.
