Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya is questioning why about 8,000 Bacolod Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP) cards had not been distributed to their recipients.
At a press conference on Monday, August 18, Gasataya said they discovered three weeks ago that thousands of BacCHP cards produced during the previous administration had not been released.
He has asked Secretary to the Mayor Marty Go, the current BacCHP focal person, to write a letter to the former BacCHP head for an explanation, stating that based on their count, about 8,000 cards were not released to the people of Bacolod.
Go said a notice to explain was issued to former BacCHP focal person Mae Cuaycong regarding the 8,000 undistributed cards.
Cuaycong responded that the figure was inaccurate and that only about 2,000 to 3,000 were not distributed due to the election ban earlier this year, Go added.
However, Gasataya said their count shows that 7,978 cards were not released and 13 were duplicates.
He also pointed out that each card costs the city government P128.
“The point is, why were they not distributed?” Gasataya asked.
He assured that registered BacCHP members who have not yet received their cards will still be covered by the program.
Go said the undistributed cards have since been given to the barangays for delivery to the residents whose names are on them.
The city has 144,691 BacCHP beneficiaries, most of whom have already received their cards, Go said.
He added that the total BacCHP budget for this year is P137,655,000 and assured that there will be sufficient funds until the end of the year.
Go also reiterated that a BacCHP member is entitled to P15,000 in hospital assistance and can avail of the same amount if admitted again after three months.
Their dependents can also avail of the P15,000, he added.*