Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri, during Monday’s plenary session, September 5, 2022. (Voltaire F. Domingo/ Senate PRIB)
BACOLOD CITY — Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri pledged an additional P400 million for the construction of the Bacolod City General Hospital (BCGH) during the groundbreaking rites in Barangay Alijis, Bacolod City, on Friday, Sept. 9.
“This will bring the cost of the BCGH buildings to P850 million,” Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya said.
Zubiri, he said, authored the bills that led to the passage of Republic Act 11564 creating the BCGH.
Zubiri said the pandemic showed the need to have hospitals to address the medical needs of people.
“If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we need more hospitals across the country, especially in highly populated urban areas like Bacolod City,” he said.
“With over half a million people in Bacolod City alone, it is clear that our public health facilities are simply not enough to cater to our people,” he added.
Zubiri said establishing the BCGC will accomplish two things – decongest the existing hospitals in Bacolod and ensure quality health care for Bacolodnons that is more affordable than in private hospitals.
It will also allow health workers at the overcrowded Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital to work within their capacity, the Senate president said.
Last Friday, a memorandum of agreement was signed between Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Regional Director Adriano Suba-an of the Department of Health for the DOH allocation of P250 million for the construction of the BCGH’s main building.
Zubiri committed to allocate another P400 million for the main building in the 2023 national budget, Gasataya said.
The 4-hectare lot for the hospital complex was donated by Bacolod resident Gloria Gensoli.
The groundbreaking for the construction of the dietary, line and laundry, and morgue buildings of the hospital was also held on Friday.
The Department of Public Works and Highways allocated P200 million for the three buildings through Zubiri’s initiative.
The Bacolod City government will run and maintain the 120-bed hospital when it is completed.
Gasataya said they are also looking into additional road networks to the hospital, which will create a new growth area for Bacolod City.