A Camarines Sur barangay captain's toughest moment: coping with loss and finding hope through the help of Bong Go and the Malasakit Center initiative

Barangay Captain Adam Malate had been a public servant for years--three terms as a municipal councilor before returning to his roots as the head of their village in Pili, Camarines Sur. But no amount of experience in governance could have prepared him for the grief of losing his eldest daughter, Gretchen Malate Badong.

"'Yung anak namin, nagda-dialysis s'ya. Pumunta s'ya sa laboratory center para kunin ang resulta ng tests n'ya. Bigla na lang s'yang inatake doon," he recalled, his voice steady but carrying the weight of memory.

It happened in 2023. Gretchen had been undergoing dialysis for some time. That day, she had gone in for routine lab work when she collapsed without warning. Medical personnel rushed her to Bicol Medical Center, but despite their efforts, she did not make it.

"Napakabiglaan ng pangyayari, at wala naman kaming ibang matakbuhan," Malate said.

Beyond the sorrow, the family faced another harsh reality--hospital expenses amounting to over PhP 90,000. It was a staggering sum for any ordinary household, but for Malate, who had devoted his life to public service, it was an overwhelming burden.

Eventually, a hospital staff member suggested they seek assistance from the Malasakit Center at the Bicol Medical Center, an initiative designed to help indigent patients cover their medical bills and lower out of pocket expense to the least possible amount.

"Agad-agad kaming nakakuha ng tulong--mahigit PhP 90,000 ang hospital bill namin, pero wala kaming binayaran kahit isang piso," Malate said, his gratitude evident with the support he received at that time.

The Malasakit Center program institutionalized through Republic Act No. 11463, was spearheaded by Senator Christopher "Bong" Go in 2018 and legislated in 2019 through his efforts as principal author and sponsor of the law.

As Chairperson of the Senate Health Committee, he had long championed access to medical aid for Filipinos in need. With 167 operational Malasakit centers nationwide, the program has already assisted over 17 million Filipinos according to the Department of Health (DOH).

For Malate and his family, the assistance was not just financial relief--it was a reassurance that, even in the most difficult moments, they were not alone.

"Kaya maraming, maraming salamat, Senator Go," Malate said. "Sa amin, sa buong pamilya namin, at sa buong barangay namin, ikaw ang aming sinusuportahan. Ikaw ang number one na senador para sa amin."

Even as the grief lingers, life presses forward. Gretchen left behind four children--two in college, one in high school, and another just starting kindergarten. Malate and his family now shoulder the responsibility of raising them.

"Ang iniisip na lang namin ngayon ay ang mga anak n'yang naiwan--dalawang college, isang high school, at isang kinder," he said. "Kaya kahit mahirap, kinakaya namin. Sa awa ng Panginoon, nakakaraos naman."

Public service has always been central to Malate's life. But this time, he found himself on the receiving end of government aid--proof, he said, that real service exists beyond politics.

"Nakasalalay po ang buhay ng karamihan sa mahihirap sa Malasakit Center kung sila ay maospital. Maraming, maraming salamat po!" he declared, echoing the sentiments of many others who have sought help through the program.

As he continues his work in the barangay, Malate carries both the loss of his daughter and the strength to keep going, knowing that, when it mattered most, help was there when his family needed it.