The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod City approved on first reading the proposed “Bacolod City Optometry Center Ordinance” authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito, and co-authored by Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, which seeks to establish a Bacolod City Optometry Center under the City Health Office to provide accessible, government-funded professional eye care services to residents.
Under the measure, a City Optometrist II position will be created, requiring a PRC-licensed Doctor of Optometry with at least one year of relevant clinical experience. An Optician (Clerk II – SG-4) position will be established to handle lens preparation, fitting, and optical laboratory services. The center may be supported by assigned personnel for records management and patient coordination.
Services offered under the Optometry Center include comprehensive eye examinations and vision assessments, diagnosis and prescription of corrective lenses, and authorized topical medications in accordance with RA 8059, low-vision rehabilitation and vision therapy, primary eye care, and referral services for specialized treatment, and community-based “Clear Vision” programs across Bacolod’s barangays.
Distrito emphasized that vision care is a vital but often overlooked component of primary healthcare.
“Clear vision directly affects a child’s academic performance, a worker’s productivity, and a senior citizen’s independence. By institutionalizing a City Optometry Center, we are making preventive eye care a regular and accessible public service, not a privilege,” Distrito said.
Sayson also said that the measure aligns with inclusive health governance, particularly benefiting indigent families, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities.*
