SEN. Bong Go said the government should bring its social services closer to the people in remote areas as he extended help to over 500 displaced workers in Mountain Province.

The senator on Friday, August 9, sent his staff to Besao town in Mountain Province to provide 565 displaced workers with snacks, vitamins, masks, shirts, basketballs, and volleyballs. Shoes and a mobile phone were given to select recipients.

The beneficiaries are also qualified for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad) program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE).

"I would like to extend my utmost support and hope to all of you amid the challenges [we face]," Go said in a video message in Filipino.

"We continue to support pro-poor programs to help each one of you, especially those who lost their jobs," he said.

"Don't lose hope because we are here to support and serve you. Let us unite and help one another because our goal is to uplift the life of every Filipino," Go added.

He commended DoLE for addressing the concerns of displaced workers. The Tupad aims to provide emergency employment and livelihood opportunities to those who have lost their jobs or sources of income due to crises.

Go said he filed Senate Bill (SB) 420 to establish a short-term employment program for eligible individuals from underprivileged households.

SB 420 seeks to create the Rural Employment Assistance Program (REAP) with the primary objective of providing temporary employment opportunities to individuals who qualify as economically disadvantaged, impoverished, displaced, or seasonal workers.

Go also co-authored and co-sponsored SB 2534, which raises the daily minimum wage by P100 nationwide "to further ease the financial burden on Filipino families."

Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, also urged the residents to visit any Malasakit Centers in the province at Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital and Bontoc General Hospital, should they need medical help.

The Malasakit Center, which Go initiated in 2018, aims to streamline the process of availing medical assistance by bringing together concerned government agencies under one roof.