Speaking before party members and local officials, he highlighted the expansion of Malasakit Centers and establishment of more Super Health Centers nationwide and called for necessary reforms in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to improve medical benefits for Filipinos.
“Sa mga pasyente, lapitan n’yo lang ang Malasakit Center dahil para ‘to sa inyo. Kung may hospital bill kayo, nand’yan ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno na tutulong para mabayaran ito,” said Senator Go.
Malasakit Centers are one-stop shops aiming to support impoverished patients in reducing their hospital costs to the least possible amount. Senator Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program.
As of now, 166 Malasakit Centers are operational across the country, poised to assist with patients' medical expenses. The DOH reports that the Malasakit Center program has already provided aid to more than 15 million Filipinos.
“‘Yung Super Health Center, it's a medium-type polyclinic. Ito po ang aking sinusulong ngayon. Halimbawa, sa inyong mga bayan, ito po ang Super Health Center—pwede na d’yan manganak. Dental, laboratory, X-ray—d’yan na rin ang konsulta ng PhilHealth. Ang mga buntis, d’yan na manganganak. ‘Yung hindi pa buntis, may panahon pa kayo magpabuntis,” he said.
He recounted a visit to a remote island where pregnant women previously endured hours-long boat rides to reach a hospital. He noted that healthcare access has significantly improved with the establishment of a Super Health Center.
“Two hours ang biyahe sa bangka papunta sa ospital. Sabi ni Mayor, ang buntis, nanganganak sa bangka, sa tricycle. Ngayon, meron na silang Super Health Center,” he added.
During his speech, Senator Go aimed at PhilHealth’s shortcomings, criticizing the agency for failing to optimize its resources to provide sufficient medical benefits.
“Ang PhilHealth, sobra-sobra ang pera. ‘Di ba? Nagalit nga ako d’yan sa Senado, kami ni Senator Robin (Padilla)... Doon ko nakita, galit na galit siya sa PhilHealth,” he said.
Senator Go cited an instance in Camarines Norte where a provincial health officer who succumbed to a disease, despite contributing significantly to PhilHealth, received minimal coverage for hospital bills amounting to millions of pesos.
“Four million ang hospital billing niya. Ang sinagot ng PhilHealth? PhP27,000. Nagkasakit ulit—PhP ten million. Ang sinagot ng PhilHealth? PhP29,000. Sa PhP ten million, ang sinagot ng PhilHealth? PhP57,000. Samantalang ang na-contribute niya sa PhilHealth? PhP200,000 sa sweldo niya. Nalugi pa siya. Nakakalungkot, namatay pa ang provincial health officer ng Camarines Norte,” he said.
Senator Go began criticizing the management of PhilHealth funds early last year, particularly opposing the transfer of excess funds to the National Treasury due to its potential negative impact on healthcare services.
In response to Senator Go’s persistent calls for reforms, PhilHealth committed to implementing key changes, including increasing case rates, expanding benefits packages, providing free medicines and assistive devices, and enhancing dental, visual, emergency, and preventive care. Senator Go also pushed for the removal of outdated policies, such as the Single Period of Confinement (SPC) policy, which was recently scrapped, and the 24-hour confinement rule, which PhilHealth has pledged to review and eliminate.
“Ang PhilHealth po, medical insurance ‘yan—hindi negosyo ‘yan,” he said.
Senator Go highlighted his efforts to push PhilHealth to expand its benefit packages.
“Ngayon, nangako sila. Pinapirma ko talaga. Nangako sila, dental—ililibre nila. Check-up sa mata, salamin. ‘Yung top ten mortality diseases—sakit sa puso—PhP two million na rin ang coverage. ‘Yung dialysis, nagagalaw pa rin nila,” he revealed.
He also noted that due to persistent efforts, PhilHealth removed restrictive policies such as the single period of confinement rule, which previously prevented patients from claiming multiple benefits for similar conditions within a short period.
Likewise, he welcomed PhilHealth’s introduction of emergency packages that eliminate the 24-hour confinement requirement before coverage applies.
“Ngayon, nag-introduce na sila ng bagong emergency packages para hindi na kailangan magpa-admit ng pasyente ng 24 hours bago nila i-cover,” Senator Go explained.
As the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, he vowed to continue scrutinizing PhilHealth’s policies to ensure they are fair and beneficial to Filipinos.
“Tututukan ko po ito bilang Chairman ng Committee on Health. Dahil naniniwala po ako na ang kalusugan ng bawat Pilipino ay katumbas ng buhay ng bawat Pilipino. Health is wealth. Ang hirap magkasakit, ang hirap maging mahirap,” he said.
In his speech, former President Rodrigo Duterte reaffirmed his unwavering support for Senator Go and other key PDP senatorial candidates. He reiterated that the party’s future success depended on its ability to field and support strong candidates, particularly in the Senate.
He also underscored the importance of fair elections, advocating against violence and vote-buying. “Let us keep democracy as handed down to our parents. I-preserve natin ‘yung legacy na binigay nila sa atin,” he urged, adding that he hoped President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would ensure an even playing field for all candidates.
Meanwhile, Senator Go concluded his speech by reaffirming his allegiance to PDP and former President Rodrigo Duterte, whom he credited for his political career.
“Salamat sa inyong suporta sa PDP. At gusto ko rin pong pasalamatan ang ating minamahal na former President, ang ating incoming Mayor, Rodrigo Duterte. Wala po ako dito bilang senador kung hindi dahil sa kanya,” he said.
He encouraged PDP members to strengthen their ranks, highlighting the party’s vision under Duterte’s leadership.
“Ang laban ng PDP ay laban para kay Pangulong Duterte, para kay Vice President Inday Sara Duterte. Mas marami tayo sa Senado, mas marami ang lalaban,” he said.
Ending on a note of commitment, Senator Go assured his audience that he would continue serving the Filipino people.
“Ako po si Senator Bong Go, patuloy na magseserbisyo sa inyo. Dahil naniniwala ako na ang serbisyo sa tao, serbisyo sa Diyos. Maraming salamat po. Mahal ko po kayong lahat!” he said.
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