BY ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
WHETHER OR NOT next year’s polls will push through, Bacolodnons have every bit of reason to rejoice still.
Both the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have already pushed the button that signaled the “green light” for the much-awaited construction of the Bacolod City General Hospital (BCGH). Meaning, it’s (now) a go “come hell or high water” next year.
Target date of the start of construction: First Quarter (Q1) of 2022.
For now, the technical working group (TWG) from both the DOH and DPWH in Region 6 is in the process of thorough assessment and completion of the schematic plan of the project.
What is a schematic plan?
In an architect’s points of view, it’s the first phase of the project. It details and addresses the location and shapes of various spaces and places with fair minimum details of the project. And it does address some specific needs for the project. Likewise, it also determines the areas, physical requirements and relationships of all required building spaces, among other components.
BCGH, dubbed as one of the “signature” projects of third-termer Bacolod City Lone District’s Rep. Greg Gasataya, will be sprawling on a three-hectare land property. The host barangay, however, is yet to be revealed soonest.
Initially, I was informed that Gasataya is on the verge of choosing the right site for the project. Four villages are in the “bucket list” and one of them will be chosen as host of BCGH anytime soon. These are barangays Bata, Alijis, Feliza, and Vista Alegre.
Per information, in each of these four barangays, there’s (already) a donor of the lot so the city or Gasataya won’t problem anymore as to the cost for land acquisition.
HITTING TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE
“We’re so glad and thankful for this newest development,” quipped the majority of the city’s businessmen.
BCGH, if properly handled by the right medical and other professional workers, could be a classic example of hitting two birds with one stone. Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) chair Frank Carbon says such could not only improve the health care delivery system in Bacolod, especially amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but could also be a medical tourism attraction.
“This is a very, very welcome development for the city, and a big impact to our investment campaign,” underscores Carbon.
He hopes that this will be managed well, manned by hardworking and intelligent medical professionals, and equipped with modern health facilities attuned to the current time.
“I do wish it’ll have a permanent PhilHealth ward that will accommodate ordinary people without passing through tedious processes before confinement.”
BCGH then, projects Carbon, will pave the way for a “Healthy Bacolod”. Because in business, he emphasizes, “Healthy employees will mean healthy companies leading to a healthy city.”
A POLITICAL PROMISE
It’s also good to note that DOH Region 6 director, Dr. Adriano Subu-an, is now on top of the situation.
Just recently, Subu-an met with Gasataya and point persons of DPWH in the region – engineers Rochelle Ang and Japhit Nasis. They assured the Bacolod solon that they’re fast-tracking the design of the project, among other necessities for the construction.
BCGH’s construction will be realized through Republic Act (RA) 11564, which was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on June 24, 2021. Gasataya was the principal author of the bill (for this BCGH) in the Lower House.
The budget for BCGH is P200-M, but the Senate also appropriated an additional P600-M, which has already been approved under the 2022 General Appropriation Act (GAA) and will be coursed through DOH’s Health Enhancement Program (DOH-HEP).
Senator Migz Zubiri and House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco also pledged some amounts for the additional equipment and facilities for the said city hospital.
“Finally, our dream of having a hospital in Bacolod City will soon be realized,” Gasataya stressed in previous interviews.
For his part, Bacolod’s Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia personally thanked both President Duterte and Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go for the approval of RA 11564.
Likewise, the mayor also thanked Gasataya for pushing the project which, he pointed out, was part of their political promises (for Bacolodnons) via Grupo Progreso (GP) during the 2019 elections.
‘MYSTERIOUS’ LINK, POLITICS IN HARMONY
Amidst some appalling comments and criticisms, BCGH, in a general perspective, is a “true beauty” of politics which Bacolodnons – rich or poor- stand to benefit. It’s a product of the so-called “politics in harmony” as formidably displayed by the political tandem of both Leonardia and Gasataya for quite a decade already. This greatness, therefore, is up to be savored by Bacolodnons soonest.
And with this politics in harmony in the “City of Smiles,” President Duterte was also politically compelled to “gift” the city with this soon-to-be constructed hospital thru RA 11564. Hence, everybody’s happy!
Thus, the unconfirmed political “split” of Leonardia and Gasataya didn’t bother anyone yet from GP. Gasataya, to date, is still being considered a GP “baby” with Leonardia as his “political daddy”.
Of course, their ala father-and-son tandem at GP plus the all-out support of Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran remains formidable. Leonardia has neither uttered distasteful remarks nor issued any final political statement against Gasataya.
Gasataya, too, is still mum on Leonardia. Thus, many believe that, at the end of the day, GP’s political harmony is still a virtue to reckon with in next year’s polls.
Though Gasataya recently declared that he’ll be running for a third term as a “neutral” candidate, GP ain’t considering him yet a “prodigal son”.
The way I personally and politically assess the situation, there’s still a link that connects some of the political dots between Leonardia and Gasataya. And this “mysterious” link remains as a “puzzle” for their respective political nemesis. And like in Mobile Legend (ML), the world’s famous online gaming, it needs an expert to decode this political link.
But whatever is this, I do hope that this mysterious link will still be an agent or bridge for the total realization of BCGH. Anyone who’ll attempt to spoil BCGH, I am sure, will gonna get the ire of the Bacolodnons.
OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE
Well, maintaining this harmony between the Leonardia and Gasataya camps is of paramount importance. To date, people refuse to politically label both (Leonardia and Gasataya) as they usher the erection of BCGH.
The project is of great importance that no amount of politics can ever putrefy. Bacolodnons are now “itching” to have this. Hearing the news about its schematic plan and time-table for construction was, for them, (really) a moment to rejoice.
Whoever wins in next year’s elections, the BCGH is already there and it’ll be an indelible legacy by Gasataya with the all-support from Leonardia, Familiaran, et al. who will forever be regarded as models of “politics in harmony” in the city.
Above all else, BCGH will be a tangible product of what former American president John F. Kennedy had said before – every accomplishment starts with the dream to try.
Thus, Gasataya simply exclaims: “Ang handum ‘ta, malab-ot na naton!”/PN
