Valenzuela City residents get help from SAP Go

HELP FOR INDIGENTS. Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go chats with indigent patients who suffered from stroke and recipients of new wheelchairs during his visit in Valenzuela City on Sunday morning (May 6, 2018). (Photo courtesy of PCOO)

MANILA — Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Bong Go on Sunday visited Valenzuela residents who gathered at the city’s astrodome on Sunday morning.

As soon as Go arrived, he distributed food to children who lined up before the Libreng Pakain truck, and have eyeglasses to the elderly who availed of free eye checkup.

Go also joined some Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and celebrity players in a 3-point shootout game.

Among those who joined him are PBA player Chris Tiu, ex-PBA stars Allan Caidic, Jojo Lastimosa and Nelson Asaytono and actors Dennis Padilla, Mark Herras and Joko Diaz.

In an interview with Philippine News Agency (PNA), Go said basketball is a great way to bond with fellow Filipinos and to keep the youth from getting into drugs and other misdemeanors.

“Kasi ang basketball po ang pinakamadaling laruin at pinakapaborito ng Pilipino, pinaka-accessible po ito kapag meron kang court at ring okay na. Para mapalayo sila sa droga, maglaro na lang sila ng basketball, para sports tayo, no to drugs, no to criminality, no to corruption, ‘yun po ang programa ni Pangulong Duterte po (Basketball is the easiest and favorite sport of Filipinos, this is the most accessible if you have court and ring it’s a go. To stay away from drugs, they should just play basketball, let’s go for sports, no to drugs, no to criminality, no to corruption, that is the program of our President Duterte),” Go said.

Go explained that he wore his favorite Stephen Curry basketball uniform to show a Filipino version of the player and “relating to chicken curry which is one of the favorite foods of Filipinos.”

“In our contest, anyone who can shoot a basket from mid-court will receive PHP50,000,” he added.

Together with Valenzuela Rep. Wes Gatchalian and Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, Go also gave rubber shoes to 24 indigent kids and new wheelchairs to stroke patients of the city.

“Yung mga sapatos po para sa mga players ng Valenzuela na deserving, may mga kaibigan po nagbahagi po sa amin so yung mga kabataan nabigyan namin (The shoes are for the deserving players of Valenzuela, there are friends who gave them to us so we are able to share them with the kids),” Go said.

“Para sa mga matatanda na nahihirapang maglakad kawawa naman po sila meron po kaming available na limang wheel chair, mabigyan po ng tulong ‘yung mga deserving na indigent (For the elderlies who have difficulty walking they’re pitiful we have five new wheelchairs, to give help to deserving indigents),” he added.