• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri has earmarked an additional P100 million through institutional amendments dedicated strictly to finalizing the construction of the Bacolod City General Hospital building, bringing the total committed funding for the project to approximately P500 million.
In an interview, Zubiri emphasized that the new infusion of funds is intended exclusively for remaining structural and finishing works, leaving medical equipment procurement out of the equation.
“I allocated an additional P100 million through my institutional fund amendments because I want the hospital building completed. The funds are for finishing works such as tiles, fixtures, bathrooms, lighting, ceilings, and all the remaining construction needed to make the building operational,” he said.
The senator clarified that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which handles the facility’s physical construction, lacks the mandate and authorization to procure medical machinery.
“The DPWH is not in the position to buy hospital equipment. Those should be procured separately. I have already discussed this with the DPWH regional director, and he agrees that the P100 million should be used exclusively for the completion of the hospital building,” Zubiri noted.
Zubiri said that he is closely collaborating with Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya and other local officials to fast-track the project’s completion phase.
Gasataya confirmed the arrangement, noting that all coordination meetings consistently pointed toward infrastructure completion rather than equipment acquisition.
“From my understanding and based on our agreement, the fund was meant to finish the hospital,” Gasataya said, adding that he has communicated this mutual understanding directly back to the senator.
Zubiri said the target is the hospital’s full completion and rollout to serve the public by the end of the year or the first quarter of next year. | GPB
