• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Bacolod Lone District Rep. Greg Gasataya admitted Oct. 8 that he has “big shoes to fill” in running for mayor in next year’s elections, but vowed to continue the programs and projects started by incumbent Alfredo Benitez.
Gasataya, who will complete his last term as congressman in June 2025, assured Bacolodnons that the policies and the kind of governance started by Benitez will be continued.
Programs like the Bacolod City Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP) and housing will be sustained, as well as the ongoing financial and medical assistance to Bacolodnons, he said.
“As author of the Comprehensive Scholarship Program way back in 2003, we will make sure that we’ll improve on this”, especially for the benefit of students of the Bacolod City College since the current head of Tesda, director-general Jose Francisco Benitez, is the brother of Albee and could help a lot in improving the courses offered by the city-run BCC.
Gasataya, also the principal author of the Bacolod City General Hospital, said he will work to fast-track the building’s completion, now at around 70 percent, and its eventual operation.
Benitez said his decision to run for congressman “became very simple” as he believes that Gasataya “can deliver and be able to continue the initiatives, the seeds of change and development that we have planted…without any doubt, conflict, or difference.”
The solon thanked Benitez and Team Asenso “for the very rare opportunity to run for mayor. We commit that we will work as a team, with the common objective of making Bacolod a super city.” | CGC
