Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri on Saturday, August 12, visited the ongoing construction of the Bacolod City General Hospital (BCGH) and the Bacolod City Museum and pledged to allocate more funds for the completion of both projects.
Zubiri was accompanied by Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Rep. Greg Gasataya during the inspection of the projects.
The senator said that he will see to it the allocation of more funds for the BCGH located at Barangay Vista Alegre in Bacolod City, on top of the P400 million he previously had allocated and the P250 million from the Department of Health.
It is important that the hospital, which is expected to be completed in 2025, will have state of the art equipment, Zubiri said.
The senator and Gasataya authored the bills in the Senate and Lower House that led to the passage of Republic Act No. 11554, establishing the BCGH in 2021.
“The people of Bacolod deserve to have accessible and affordable healthcare,” Zubiri said.
“Bacolod is the most populous city in Western Visayas, and for it to not have its own dedicated tertiary government hospital severely limits the healthcare options of it’s over half a million residents,” he said.
“Coming out of the pandemic, we want to build up our regional healthcare services. We don’t want a repeat of the overcrowded hospitals, the overworked nurses and doctors, and the patients being turned away from hospital to hospital. So I am very much looking forward to an improved healthcare sector here in Western Visayas, once the BCGH is up and running,” he said.
MUSEUM
The senator also visited the construction of the Bacolod City Museum in Barangay Alijis, which he calls a “legacy project” for the city.
Zubiri earlier sought the allocation of P320 million for the museum, and on Saturday committed about P100 million more for its completion and landscaping.
It a combination of a museum, amphitheater and an events place that will also enable the city government to earn some income, he said.
It will be a museum that will showcase works of Bacolod and Negros artists, will have an interactive section, hold various exhibits and serve as a venue for students’ field trips, Zubiri said.
“Development is not only about looking forward, it is also about celebrating our past, and building on the rich history and culture that we have here in Bacolod,” he said.
“We wanted to have a museum where locals and tourists alike can learn about and appreciate the story of Bacolod and our people. And it is not just going to be about the past. This museum-auditorium will also be a place for contemporary and future artists, who continue to enrich our sense of pride and identity here in Bacolod.”
The Bacolod City Museum that is 72 percent completed is expected to be ready to open in the first half of 2024, Zubiri said.
FLOOD CONTROL
Benitez said he is also willing to help Bacolod City improve its flood control system.
The problem of flooding is all over the country and the world because of climate change, he said. Zubiri said he also visited his projects in other parts of Negros Occidental while in the province Friday and Saturday.*