SAP Go urges Boracay residents to avail of ‘cash for work’ program

FILE: Go made this call after learning that only 10,000 of the 23,000 residents affected by the ongoing six-month rehabilitation of Boracay Island have applied for the program. (RICHARD MADELO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

MANILA – Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Thursday urged Boracay residents to avail of the government’s “cash-for-work” program.

Go made this call after learning that only 10,000 of the 23,000 residents affected by the ongoing six-month rehabilitation of Boracay Island have applied for the program.

“What I know is that there about 23,000 (residents). So we would like to call on the remaining 13,000 that you can avail of the program and the work there,” Go told Cesar Chavez in an interview for “Damdaming Bayan” aired over dzRH.

Go commended an inter-agency task force headed by Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu for a job well done in the first two months of the rehabilitation work.

“We found the shoreline is very clean now. The narrow roads have been widened and the people there are really participating in the clean-up drive,” said Go, who recently visited Boracay.

The top aide of President Rodrigo Duterte also called on local leaders and residents to unite in clearing the islands of illegal drugs.

“I’ve heard that there a lot of illegal drugs there. The anti-drug campaign of the President is very important, especially in Boracay,” Go said.
He encouraged the local government leaders, particularly barangay officials and local police, to lead the anti-drug campaign in the island.

“It is important to clean not only the environment but also the people there. They should help in our campaign against illegal drugs,” he said.

Go said he expects Duterte to highlight the government’s campaign against illegal drugs, as well as criminality and corruption in his third State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) on July 23.

Although Duterte said he will read his speech in not more than 35 minutes, Go said the President “will make the most of his time, stressing on really pressing matters and concerns.”

“Perhaps what the people want to hear is not only the accomplishments in the past two years but how government will address the inflation problem and other concerns,” he added.

Contrary to recent surveys that showed a decline in Duterte’s net satisfaction rating, Go said the people have begun to feel the benefits of the government campaign against illegal drugs, criminality and corruption.

“I think majority (of the Filipino people) still believe in him. Because, for me, the Filipinos can determine if there are really changes happening right in their communities and their lives,” he said.