IN LINE with the government's thrust to institutionalize the Malasakit Center, a government facility designed to cater to indigent Filipinos who need medical assistance, another center was launched at the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Hospital (SKPH) Monday, November 19.

Bai Mariam Sangki Mangudadatu, municipal mayor of Datu Abdullah Sangki Maguindanao, bared that a total of P50 million budget was allocated by the government to SKPH for the Malasakit fund. The center will provide a more convenient and comfortable avenue for people as they no longer have to line up to different agencies to ask for help.

"Masaya kami dahil nabigyan kami dito sa Sultan Kudarat ng pondo. Ito po ay naghahalaga ng P50 million. Lahat po yon ay tulong-tulong sa 'gayon ang ating mga kababayan especially mga disabled, mga lolo, mga lola, mga elders eh hangga't maari lumabas sila na zero balance," Bai Mariam said.

The mayor cited that the center is not only limited to residents of Sultan Kudarat as they also welcome those who will seek help coming from the neighboring provinces.

This will expedite the delivery of medical services for those who are in dire need of aid to pay their bills as it already housed here the different government agencies offering medical assistance under one roof.

These agencies are Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) which were pooled together to extend assistance to marginalized citizens with a simplified processing system.

She said that aside from the Malasakit fund, there is already a P5-million annual budget for health services this year coming from the congressional fund of Congressman Datu Teng Mangudadatu and other programs of the provincial government led by Sultan Kudarat Governor Sultan Pax S. Mangudadatu.

Other Malasakit Centers that have been established are located in Cebu City, Iloilo City, Tacloban City, Bacolod City, Puerto Princesa City, Dumaguete City, Maasin in Leyte, Metro Manila, Zamboanga City, and Davao City.