MANILA — Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go vowed Sunday to provide assistance to the Malabon fire victims eager to go back to their provinces in the Visayas so they could start anew.
In an interview, Go said he will help those who want to go home to their provinces just like what he did to the Quezon City and Manila fire victims who previously signified such request.
“Metro Manila is already congested and they have spaces in the provinces. What’s important is for them to be able to go back home because sometimes, their comfort zones are in the provinces, their families,” he said in Filipino.
Go said sending them home would be easy because of “government airplanes with scheduled trips which can be accessed to help the fire victims”.
Go added that he would provide some livelihood or small businesses to fire victims who lost their jobs.
“They went here just to work but since they lost everything to the fire, if they need livelihood in their areas and they don’t have jobs, we will help them,” he said.
In an interview with Philippine News Agency (PNA), Go said he is very much committed in helping fire victims, saying it is a huge part of his job as a government official.
“As long as I can, I would visit all fire victims because that’s our work. And this government aid comes from the people’s tax money,” he said.
Aside from providing cash assistance and groceries from the Office of the President, Go said he will also “ask Meralco to provide the fire victims their own electric meter even if they don’t own the property where they’re settling.”
Go donated some of his personal belongings like clothes, shoes and watches to the fire victims.
“I will launch a “Sapatos ni SAP, Tsinelas Ka-Swap” program where those who have extra shoes can donate, and I plan to do it through placing drop boxes nationwide, he said.
The Friday fire in Barangay Catmon left 1,000 families homeless, placing the local government of Malabon under state of calamity.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined but fire officials said it started on the roof of a house owned by a certain Leonila Cortez. (Ma. Teresa Montemayor/PNA)
