SEN. Christopher “Bong” Go on Monday extended assistance to families displaced by a fire in Caloocan City that claimed five lives and injured one person, while urging stricter fire prevention measures to avert similar tragedies.
Go expressed sympathy to the victims’ families, stressing that protecting lives must remain the government’s foremost priority during disasters.
“Money can be earned, things can be bought, but a life lost can never be regained. A life lost is lost forever,” Go said.
The senator said assistance should be delivered promptly to help displaced families recover and rebuild their homes after fire incidents.
He also urged the public to remain vigilant against common fire hazards, including faulty electrical wiring, unattended cooking, overloaded outlets, and combustible materials placed near heat sources.
Go emphasized that effective fire prevention requires the cooperation of households, barangay officials, local governments, and emergency responders. He called for regular fire drills, accessible evacuation routes, and properly maintained firefighting equipment, particularly in densely populated communities.
The senator highlighted several legislative measures he has championed to strengthen disaster preparedness and emergency response. He is the principal author and co-sponsor of Republic Act (RA) 11589, or the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act of 2021, which provides for the acquisition of modern firefighting equipment, expansion of the Bureau of Fire Protection’s workforce, and specialized firefighter training.
He also co-authored RA 12076, or the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, mandating the establishment of permanent, disaster-resilient evacuation centers in all cities and municipalities.
Go likewise filed Senate Bill (SB) 173, which seeks to establish a Department of Disaster Resilience to oversee disaster risk reduction, preparedness, response, recovery, and rehabilitation.
To support families displaced by fires and other calamities, he also proposed SB 415 creating a rental housing subsidy program, SB 669 granting hazard pay to disaster response personnel, and SB 666 updating the National Building Code to incorporate stronger safety and disaster-resilience standards.
