BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
About 1,000 Bacolod City residents availed of medical, burial and cash assistance facilitated by Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya at the Barangay Montevista covered court in Bacolod City yesterday.
The recipients include the 111 residents of Purok Herbabuena in Brgy. Villamonte who were affected by the demolition on November 4 due to a court order.
Gasataya said the affected residents received P5,000 cash assistance per family aside from P3,000 per family as personal assistance from Ian Manuel Lo, president of Grace Pharmacy, or a total of P8,000.
The solon was also joined by Lo and lawyer Mark Steven Mayo, who is running as an independent candidate for councilor of Bacolod City in the May 2022 elections, in the distribution of financial assistance.
Gasataya said about 300 residents received burial assistance while the rest were recipients of medical assistance yesterday. His office is facilitating the release of funds under the Department of Social Welfare and Development to the different barangays in Bacolod City.
The amount to be released in terms of medical, burial and cash assistance for the next two days is about P4.5 million. The recipients should submit their requirements like certificate of indigency and proof that they need medical and burial assistance to the Congressional Office, he said.
This has been an ongoing program of the government for quite some time, he said adding that they were able to provide assistance to so many residents of the city since the start of the pandemic in March up to the present.
Gasataya said the releasing of assistance started yesterday and will continue today.
Meanwhile, Gasataya said he already requested the Department of Health (DOH) to invite the local government of Bacolod and other agencies concerned in their next coordination meeting to ensure that all the requirements for the construction of the Bacolod City General Hospital will be in place.
The DOH had already informed Mayor Evelio Leonardia last month about the construction of the hospital, he said.
In their next coordination meeting, they will be discussing the site for the construction of the hospital with the local government. The proposed sites are located in Felisa, Vista Alegre, Alijis and another site which was not yet disclosed, he said.
Gasataya said he already met with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the DOH during their second coordination meeting Monday where the DPWH submitted to the DOH its schematic or engineering plan for the construction of the hospital.*
