• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Bacolod City General Hospital, which is now almost complete, got an additional funding of P100 million, along with another P85 million for the Bacolod City Museum, announced Senate majority leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Monday.
In a press briefing, Zubiri said the additional funding of P100 million for the BCGH is for its finishing touches, as he expects completion by middle or end of the year, when it will be turned over to the Bacolod City government.
Zubiri already added P500 million to the construction of the medical facility, which started in 2022, on top of P200 million allocated by the Department of Health.
The Bacolod City government, he added, will have to buy the hospital equipment, stressing that the national government is now being strict in releasing funds.
The four-story main hospital building in Barangay Vista Alegre, Bacolod City, is implemented by the DOH-Western Visayas through the city government under the agency’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program, while the DPWH-Western Visayas is constructing the three support buildings.
The 127-bed healthcare facility will have an emergency room, operating theater, intensive care unit, diagnostic laboratory, dental clinic, pharmacy, and chapel.
The Bacolod City General Hospital was established under Republic Act 11564, authored by then Bacolod Lone District Representative Greg Gasataya and sponsored by Zubiri in the Senate.
Zubiri is also hoping for the completion of the Bacolod City Museum by the end of the year, with the allocation of an additional P85 million for the project.
He calls the Bacolod City Museum in Barangay Alijis, Bacolod City, his “legacy project” for the city, before he steps down as a senator.
The additional funds are designated for the finishing and landscaping of the structure, which is a combination of a museum and amphitheater, to ensure its completion.
“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,” Zubiri said.
The senator, whose father, Jose Maria Zubiri was born in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, said he plans to convene Negrense and Bacolod artists as an advisory council to the Bacolod City museum.
The P600 million Bacolod City Museum aims to create a dedicated space for preserving the history, culture, and arts of Bacolod City and Negros Occidental. It is designed to serve as a hub for both local and tourist appreciation, showcasing the talents of Negrense artists.
At least P1.1 billion has already been allocated by Zubiri for the two mega projects in highly-urbanized Bacolod City.*
